Tenshi: The SwordWeilding Meister
by Little Bookwyrm
Summary: A girl appears at Death City wielding a giant sword; she's looking for her brother and, for Maka and the gang, it's a head-first plunge into an adventure of discovery, but can they handle it? Please read & review! Rated T for safety. Currently being Rewritten.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer for story: I DO NOT OWN SOUL EATER!

* * *

Prologue: The Girl with the Claymore

The Arizona's morning sun was hot as it beat mercilessly on the arid landscape bellow. Hardly anything that suggested life in this forsaken place had long since retired with the sun's gradual rise over the mountains.

There was, however, one subject of life; a lone figure that seemed to be walking aimless in the desert landscape, and yet knew precisely where it was headed to. No one had or would notice the being walking along a road that clearly wasn't there, and that was the way the person liked it.

The figure was shrouded in a long, thick cloak that seemed a poor choice in the current climate, and yet the person didn't appear to be anywhere close to collapsing from heat. A large scabbard was slung on the person's back along with a backpack that hardly had any shape to it, showing that it was near complete depletion of its contents, if there had been any to begin with.

A strong wind momentarily came about, ruffling the cloak with the intention of it being thrown into the air. A small hand came up from where the two sides met and grabbed hold of the garment's clasp to keep it from flapping about too much, and slowly released it when the current had died down; abruptly stopping, the figure looked off into the distance.

Up ahead, with the appearance of a spiraling hill, Death City stood in the distance. Lifting the hood up, two azure eyes peered out over the distance. By the rate now being traveled, the person calculated that it would be close to noon when the city was arrived at, not that was a problem or anything.

Adjusting the cargo on the back, the person continued on its trek to Death City.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Christine Law

There was no doubt in anyone's mind; today was the hottest day in Death City. The only way to escape the intense heat was the refuge of the air-conditioned rooms of the buildings, and that was what many students at Shibusen were now doing.

In classroom Crescent Moon, everyone was doing their best to deal with another one of Stein's long lectures on a very useless topic. No one was really paying attention anyway, as their patch-work teacher really didn't bother with keeping the class in check.

Maka Albarn looked up from the paper that she had been using to take notes despite the pointlessness of the topic to glance over at her partner. Soul was slumped back in his chair and seemed to be sleeping, though the occasional twitch of his form proved otherwise, almost as if the boy was ready to jump up at a moment's notice.

Make could understand that; they both had been on edge since the incident with the Book of Eibon and nearly getting killed by a mad Kid.

Speaking of Kid…

Maka looked over to where Kid and the Thompson Twins usually sat, but only seeing three empty chairs. They had been absent for over two weeks now, but it didn't look as if they would be seeing the trio anytime soon.

Kid was still struggling with the effects of the madness, and often had to stay in bed from the mental exhaustion that followed each battle. Maka had been told by Liz that Kid would often waken up the entire mansion screaming his head off, mostly due to nightmares.

Being his partners, Liz and Patti were able to handle Kid's nighttime outbursts of panic; though Maka wasn't sure how long they would last.

_If there was a way to cure the insanity_, Maka thought to herself, turning back to Stein who was now rambling on about something else completely off the topic of the lesson.

Sighing, Maka began to put her supplies away.

_Tinkle._

Maka felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up on end. Why did she just hear a bell? The scythe technician glanced around to find the source of the sound, but no one in the classroom clearly had a bell in their possession.

Was she not getting enough sleep? Had to be all of those nights studying, Maka thought to herself with a mental shake. She turned back to the task of putting her supplies back in the bag.

_Tinkle, tinkle._

Soul's head snapped up this time and he shared wary glances with his Meister; Maka held her breath as her mind attempted to understand what was going on. If Soul could sense the aura as well, that clearly didn't mean a good thing in Maka's process of understanding. Frantically, she searched around for the source, all the while listening as if became more frequent with its ringing.

_Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle._

Now, the entire class was aware of the presence, and Stein glanced up from his book. Everyone was conversing amongst each other, all trying to find out what the sound was coming from.

"Oi, Maka," Soul whispered at last. "What's going on?"

"Not sure," Maka replied, her mind trying to focus on locating the source, "but whoever it is has a large wave length."

"Then where's it coming from?" The Scythe Weapon asked, his red eyes glancing around. "It better not be one of that jerk's group, because I'm…"

"Shush," Maka said, and after a moment, added, "It's coming from outside Death City."

"What?" Soul asked, a little too loud.

"I suppose that everyone hear is hearing that wave length," Stein said from his desk, a hand lightly touching the large bolt in his head. "Even those who normally can't sense a wavelength with ease seem to sense it."

"What exactly is it, professor?" Ox Ford asked, his eyes clearly glancing about behind his glasses.

Stein sighed and, pushing away from the desk, stood up with a rigidness apparently caused by the several hours of sitting.

"How about we cut class short early today and see what we can find out about this new aura," the scientist said, his tone slightly dull and unconvincing.

Still, everyone was highly curious as to what was going on, and so they followed their teacher out of the lecture hall. Maka flinched when she heard the bell again; honestly, who in their right mind would come to the border of Death City and let their soul bounce all over the place.

* * *

Outside, it seemed that nearly everyone in Shibusen was out along the wall that marked the edge of Death City. Even Shinigami and Spirit were present, looking out to the desert along with everyone else.

"What's going on, Shinigami-sama?" Maka asked when she, Soul, Black Star and Tsubaki made their way through the crowd toward Shinigami.

"Well, nothing much," the Death God said in his see-saw voice and pointed out to the desert, "just that there's a girl out there and doesn't seem to be doing anything."

The four Shibusen students followed to where Shinigami's point led to, and immediately saw what the object of the event was.

Standing alone, with a large black cloak billowing in the breeze that had just picked up, was a young girl—Maka believed that they were close in age—with pure white hair that was bound up in two pigtails by long lengths of black ribbon; two bells were fastened by each of the ribbons as well, and the four all gave a soft _tinkle _when the wind jostled them.

"Ha!" Black Star scoffed, "To think that this person would pose as a threat."

Tsubaki glanced over at her Meister; Black Star had grown since the Eibon Incident, but every now and then reverted back to his old self. That would hopefully go away with time.

"Threat or not," Sid, who had just joined the group, said, "That kid down there clearly doesn't appear friendly."

"Ho ho," Shinigami said, "why do you say that, Sid?"

"Take a look at the kid's back," the zombie teacher said, "there's a giant sword."

At the second glance, everyone instantly agreed with Sid; the large hilt of an equally large sword was poking up from behind the girl's small frame. From what Maka could see, it was of simple iron wrapped with brown leather around where the hands would grip it and, from the length of the hilt, it appeared to be a two-hand sword.

"How about this," Shinigami said, turning toward the four friends, "could you four go down and try to talk with her? She seems to be about your age."

"Shinigami-sama, are you sure?" Sid asked with uncertainty.

"Don't worry about it," the Death God said, flapping a hand in a reassuring gesture. "If anything happens, Maka and Black Star can handle it."

The two Meisters shared worried glances; the last time they tried to handle things, they nearly got killed by their teammate and friend.

Still, how can one say no the Shinigami himself?

Without a word, Maka and Black Star along with their weapons leapt down from the wall and landed in the sandy terrain of the Arizona country.

The figure didn't utter a word as the four made their way to her; she just seemed to stare at them. In a short while, the four friends were close enough to speak to the figure without the need to shout, but far enough away for a chance of countering any attack that might come their way.

Now that she was close, Maka could fully see the girl's face. While dirty from the sand that had been picked up by the wind, the girl clearly had fair skin under all of that grime. Her eyes were empty pits of azure, showing no emotion that could be detected. The bells in her hair swung softly, their chimes gently echoing across the small gap between the two parties.

Neither side, at least, Shibusen's, were not sure what to do; should they be the first ones to speak and question the girl on why she was standing outside Death City and letting her Soul's wavelengths bounce up all over the place.

Maka glanced over at Black Star and Tsubaki; the assassin clearly looked tense but obviously wasn't going to leap out at this unknown individual like he had done several times before. Tsubaki stood beside her meister seemingly calm, but was ready to follow her partner's orders at the slightest movement of an attack.

It was, however, the girl who spoke first, having Maka turn back to her.

"Have I troubled you?" the girl asked, with no emotion in the rich soprano that came past the dried lips.

The four friends didn't know what to think; here was a girl who after all the concern that she had caused, still was calm or even _too_ calm to ask if she had troubled them.

"Er…" Maka began, "Can you please tell us why you are here?"

"I'm looking for something," the girl said after a moment of silent, her eyes never leaving the picture of the four friends.

"What is this 'something' exactly?" Soul asked.

The girl's eyes momentarily flashed over to Soul, and Maka grew tense at the way that those seemingly dead eyes stared at her partner. Soul, however, didn't seem to notice the concern of his partner at the moment, and easily stared right back at the girl.

"That is none of your concern," she said, placing her stare back at where it had previously been.

"Oi," Black Star said, stepping forward. "Anyone how comes here and let's their soul bounce around the place is definitely a concern for us!"

Maka couldn't help but smile inside; Black Star certainly had come a long way from when he was so careless and not very ninja-like. He was slowly beginning to drop his "Man-who-will-surpass-God" attitude and becoming more concerned with was going on around him.

"Then," the girl said, a hand reaching up out of the cloak to the long hilt that sat behind her head. "Do you wish to fight me?"

"We didn't come here to fight," Maka said quickly, hoping to resolve what would happen if something wasn't done. "We're here to talk."

"Then let's talk," the girl said, bringing the large sword up and over with the one hand that had grabbed it, and slamming in it into the sandy earth. Maka could sense everyone jumping at the wave that came out from the force, and easily could see the small, crooked circle that had been cracked into the earth by the blade's tip.

"While we fight."

Oh boy.

The girl darted toward the quad with astonishing speed despite that she was carrying a weapon twice the weight of herself. Her first swipe was toward Maka, who easily evaded the large iron blade as it landed with such force that the ground shattered from the energy.

_If we take one hit from that_, Maka thought as she landed. _We won't be able survive!_

"Soul!" Maka called out to her weapon. Soul wasted no time in transforming into a Death Scythe in Maka's hands.

"She doesn't look like a Technician," Soul said, "so don't go all out."

"Alright; let's go!"

Maka rushed forward with Soul in hand, and threw her first strike at the girl. Sparks flew where the two weapons contacted, and it was everything that Maka had to just hold herself there.

The girl didn't seem troubled by the pressure that was being shared between the two; in fact, she wasn't even breathing as hard as the Scythe Technician. Maka tried to read the girl's soul, but what she found was muddled signals that were difficult to separate one from the other, and the fact that she was bracing against such a powerful force made it even more troublesome.

"Maka," Soul called from his scythe form. "Don't push it; you're still recovering."

"I know that, Soul," Maka grunted from beneath the strain of the power fight, "but I know I can handle it for now."

"Wish Kid was here," Soul said, his lone red eye glancing angrily at the girl who was currently trying to push his Meister into the earth. "He could easily attack from a distance."

"Well, he isn't," Maka said, sweat beginning to form on her brow.

"Any time now, Black Star!" she added with a yell, giving one last push in hopes to unbalance the girl.

"Yahoo!" Black Star ran up behind the girl then, Tsubaki having already changed to her Chained Scythe form, and struck out at the girl with the bladed heads.

Maka couldn't brace herself in time when the girl roughly pushed her away and turned toward Black Star, her blade catching the curved blades of the Kusarigama. The blue-haired boy wasn't able to counter as the girl easily flipped him over her head and onto Maka, landing with a grunt.

"Ow, what gives?" Black Star asked as Tsubaki and Soul reverted to their human forms. "That girl isn't an Evil Human, and yet she can fight like a trained Technician."

"Like a Technician?" Maka repeated, glancing up at the girl. She hadn't moved forward to attack as the four sat vulnerable on the sandy earth; all the girl was doing was staring at them, staring with eyes that were full of sorrow, grief, and perhaps anger?

_Why isn't she attacking us,_ Maka wondered. They all were in no position to make a counter attack, and yet the girl was only standing, her face giving the appearance of one who spaced out but really didn't.

"Who are you?" Maka called out to the unnamed female. "Why did you come to Death City? You clearly do not want to fight us, so who are you?"

"That's right," Soul added as he stood up from where he had been sitting. "It isn't cool to attack people without introducing yourself, you know?"

The girl didn't answer right away, but continued staring at them. Or was it behind them?

"Another comes." She said then, prompting the four to glance behind them.

Stein and Spirit had jumped down from the city walls, Spirit already in his Death Scythe form. The old partners, if surprised that the unnamed girl had announced their presence, didn't show it and Stein looked over at the four Shibusen students.

"We noticed that you were having a little trouble, so Shinigami-sama asked that we come down here and help in anyway." The stitched-over individual said his grip solid but relaxed on Spirit's pole.

"Also," he added, turning back to the girl, "it isn't nice to with hold your name from someone who was polite enough to ask for it. So out with it: who are you?"

The girl glanced over at Stein, azure orbs for eyes never giving any flicker of emotion as she stared at the four-star Technician. Stein returned her stare back with his own, rather dull glance, and the four youngsters only watched as the two waged out this silent battle.

"Are you planning to fight me too?" the girl asked then.

Stein merely shrugged. "It all depends on whether you cooperate or not," he said. "So what will it be?"

"Oi, Stein," Spirit said then. "You don't really think that this—?"

"Stein?" Everyone glanced over at the girl; for the first time, her eyes showed emotion, a mixture of surprise followed by a deep hatred. Maka gulped as she felt the stirring of the girl's soul in anger.

"You…" The girl's soul was growing in power, Maka could feel it, and she was certain that the people on the wall could feel it too. She then wondered if Stein knew this girl, but from the look on his face, the doctor clearly didn't.

"You…you..." she repeated over and over, anger rising with each word as her soul became like a balloon that, even though stretched beyond its limits, refused to pop. The ground around her began to stir, first in a small circle near her feet, but it slowly grew in size and increased in speed, but remained contained around the girl's feet.

"This isn't good," Tsubaki said worriedly.

"I'll say," Black Star said, "what could this girl have against Stein anyway?"

"Maybe he tried to experiment on her pet cat," Soul suggested and, if it wasn't for the situation, Maka would have gladly given him a good, old-fashion 'Maka Chop'.

Instead, the Scythe Technician was watching the girl's form; she was trembling from her soul's growing power, and even her voice was showing it as she continued her chant. Maka couldn't believe her eyes: the girl had built up so much power that was equivalent or greater than some of the Technicians that she knew, and it was still growing.

"YOU LIAR!" The girl howled then, as if relieved that she had finally said what she wanted to. As she did, the energy that had been held back was finally released, the whirling circle of sand turning into a giant whirlwind that easily struck the Shibusen group with such force that all they could do was brace themselves as they waited for it to settle down, which it did.

"'It was just supposed to be a routine mission.'" The girl mumbled yet heard by the group as the sand settled, her body shaking but managing to stay standing with her blade being used as support. Maka wondered how she could manage when she herself would be on the ground after releasing that much energy.

"'There should have been only one Evil Human,'" the girl said, her eyes never leaving Stein. "'He fought hard, but there were too many. He died a noble death; you should be proud of him.'"

"Do you remember that?" she asked, her eyes burning with anger.

Stein stared. "I'm afraid I don't."

"Three years ago," the girl growled. "Perhaps less than that, you came and told us that he had died, died on a mission that he should have been able to handle himself. You said that his soul had been devoured by one of them, and that his body had been ripped beyond recognition, not even enough to be buried. You said that he died an honorable death, but it was all a lie, wasn't it? It was just a lie!"

Something glanced across Stein's face that Maka noticed; it was one of remembrance and one that he clearly didn't want to recall.

"Stein?" Spirit asked, wondering what connection that the girl had with Stein.

Stein's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're…" he began.

The sword in the girl's hand began to glow then and, to everyone's shock, separated into two, identical single-blade swords in the girl's hands.

"You should remember," the girl said, pointing one of the twin swords at Stein. "I was there when you told Mother and Father. I was there when you said that he had died, that you confirmed his remains at the scene, even though there was nothing left to allow a proper burial!"

"What I'm looking for is the truth," she added. "I want to know why you lied about him. I don't care if I have to fight you, but I'll find the truth."

Before anyone could react, the girl suddenly appeared in front and above Stein, her swords coming down in a slash.

Fortunately, Stein was able to counter, bring Spirit's blade up to meet the sword's blades with a flurry of sparks. The girl used the contact to push herself away, landing a foot or so from Stein, who immediately pursued with his own attack, sweeping Spirit close to the ground, right at the girl's feet.

When the attack looked like it was going through, it halted; the girl had thrust one of the swords into the ground, rendering the attack unable to continue.

"Not bad," Stein remarked. "Let's see how you deal with this."

No one could see what he had done, as it had happened all too fast, but now the girl and Stein were exchanging attacks back and forth, sparks flying as metal met metal. The four watched in shock as one, the most powerful Technician to have ever graduated from Shibusen, and the other, a girl that was unnamed and possibly of no rank, were able to keep up with each others movements.

"No way…" Maka said, her eyes wide in amazement. If not for the fact that it was a fight of life-or-death, she would have believed that their movements were some steps from a dance.

"Not even Black Star and I could keep up with Stein like that," Tsubaki said, "yet she is able to keep up with him."

"Doesn't look like she's sweating," Soul mumbled, "Not cool."

"Too bad Marie isn't here," Maka mused as she watched. "Stein could use Izuna and finish this quick."

"No way…" The group looked down at Black Star, who had remained sitting on the ground. His face was twisted in a look of pure shock and horror, and it seemed his entire body was shaking.

"Black Star, what's wrong?" Tsubaki asked.

"Those movements," the young Technician said, his eyes wide and stricken with horror. "It couldn't be…"

Before Black Star could say anything else, the group turned their attention back to the fight at the sound of a yell from Spirit.

Stein had been caught off guard, allowing the girl to drive a sword into his side, barely missing the organs. Blood slid down the length of the blade and formed a small puddle between the two humans; the girl easily pulled her blade out, as if it had been plunged in water, and Stein slumped to the ground, gripping his side with a hand.

"Stein-sensei!" Maka yelled in panic, running toward her fallen teacher.

"Stay back, Maka," Spirit yelled. "Stein, you alright?"

"I'm fine," Stein said, managing to stand up with his hand still on his side.

"I congrats you," the girl said. "Normally, people wouldn't try to stand up after that much fighting and damage."

Stein smirked. "Then I'm not like normal people," he said out in huffs, pushing his soul to close the wound, and sighed with relief as it slowly did.

"You wouldn't by chance remember who this girl is, would you?" the red-haired Death Scythe asked softly to his partner.

Stein's lips turned up in a small grin. "I have an idea, but to make sure…"

Without warning, Stein stepped to the right and away from the girl's attacking swords, freeing a hand and grabbing the old cloak with it. The girl didn't react in time, and Stein easily removed the cloak, the remains of its clasp snapping apart from the tension, and the wearer stumbled and fell to the ground, landing on her hands and feet.

"Now, I remember you." Stein said, letting the cloak fall from his hand.

"What in the world…?" Soul began, while Maka and everyone else stared.

The clothes underneath were similar to a nun's, but the skirt had been ripped at the seams to allow more movement, and there were black shorts underneath. Her shoes where black boots that looked much more suitable to hike than run around in with weapons, and there was a necklace of some sorts around her neck.

The girl tried to twist, but was halted by Stein's Soul Thread Sutures, but continued to struggle until Stein placed Spirit's blade against a cheek. Her eyes stared into Stein's, clearly full of ultimate hatred and her lips were twisted in to a horrid snarl.

"I remember you now," Stein said, his voice tired but calm. "Two years ago, you vanished off the face of the earth, shortly after your parents had passed away due to broken heart syndrome. You were thought to have fallen prey while seeking revenge against a brother you had been told that died. To think that you have been alive all this time is quite something."

"You remember now, Stein-sensei?" Maka asked, the group having joined the older men.

"That and a lot more," Stein said, slowly releasing his technique. The girl stayed where she was, but was clearly tense and ready to move at the slightest aggressive movement.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Missy?" Stein asked, pulling a cigarette out and put it in his mouth without lighting it.

The girl didn't say anything, but her expression clearly said the message.

"Oh, well," Stein said. "Perhaps Shinigami-sama could have better luck with getting you to talk than I could. Then again, I'm sure he has his own set of questions that he wants to ask you."

"Like I would talk with him," the girl snarled. Without any warning, the girl then collapsed, clearly out cold in the hot desert; her two swords shimmered and united into the one single blade again. The young Shibusen students huddled around the motionless body, each staring in shock and confusion.

"What just happened?" Spirit asked, changing back to his human form.

Stein kneeled down beside the collapsed frame, his eyes scanning the girl's form.

"She was running on fumes," he said, straightening up. "I thought she had looked a little thin, but one can only guess how long she's gone without a proper meal."

"Should we bring her back?" Tsubaki asked.

"By all means," Stein said. "I guess we can hold off her talking to Shinigami-sama later, at least until she's back on her feet."

Stein then turned to leave, but was stopped when Spirit grabbed his shoulder.

"Hold on Stein," the Death Scythe said. "You haven't told us who exactly this girl is, and I don't think this girl is willing to say it. Be truthful with us, Stein: Who is she?"

"Her name," Stein glanced over at the girl who Maka was lifting up onto her back with Soul's help.

"Her name is Christine Law."


	3. Chapter 2

4

Chapter Two: Kid's Remedy

"Christine Law, huh?" Shinigami said puzzled, tapping his head with a large foam-like hand. "To think she had been alive all these years is quite a surprise."

Several hours had passed since the girl was brought into Shibusen's Nurse Office, with Mira Nygus nearly fainting at the sight before pushing everyone else beside Stein out of the room. The girl was dehydrated and needed fluid—three bags at once—and was going to be out for a long while, at least that's what Mira said.

For now, all anyone could do was wait; the young meisters had already head home for the day with instructions to come back bright and early tomorrow morning or when they were needed if at all. Shinigami and Sid were currently sitting at a table in the Death Room, drinking tea as they usually did when discussing items regarding Shibusen.

"You know her, Shinigami-sama?" Sid asked.

"I knew her mother, if that counts," Shinigami said, pouring another cup of tea. "Cute thing, really; her husband was also her partner," he took a small sip.

"I don't know how those two became partners really—conflicting souls they had, but they were one of the few most powerful duos to graduate Shibusen."

"Is that so," Sid said. "Then, how does she have a relation with Justin?"

"Justin is her cousin," Shinigami said, "But something happened to her parents and Christine-chan was taken by Justin's. From what I have heard, those two were inseparable up to when Justin joined Shibusen."

"That's interesting," the zombie teacher said, having difficulty believing that Justin had another and _living_ relative.

"Oh yes," Shinigami said after taking a sip of tea. "But I'm quite surprised that she'd come here, when she in fact had been told a lie."

"Speaking about that, Shinigami-sama," Sid said, placing his own cup down on the table top, "Why was Justin's family told that he had died?"

"Justin was the one who asked for that," Stein's voice came from the doorway.

"Ah, Stein," Shinigami said with delight as Stein came over and took a seat at the table. "So good of you to join us; how's our guest?"

"Stable," Stein said, placing a cigarette without lighting it in his mouth, "but weak; she appears to have not eaten properly for a while, weeks perhaps, surviving only on what she could catch herself or scavenge. She woke up a while ago, but only long enough to eat some liquid food before falling asleep again."

"Shame," Shinigami sighed, "and I was hoping to talk to her soon."

"Anyway," the Death God added, "about the time that Justin became a Death Scythe, he asked that he was believed to be dead by his family. I guess that he didn't want his family to know about that, since his folks had been against him joining in the first place."

"Then how did Christine learn the truth?" Sid asked, glancing over at Stein. "And why did she know you?"

Stein sighed. "I was the one who told the Law family the lie," he said, his eyes glancing to the side as if he was a child who had been found out. "I was foolish in leaving my name—perhaps I had believed that I wouldn't be remembered and hunted for, and I wouldn't be surprised if she blamed me for causing her relatives' death."

"As for the truth," he added, "she most likely learned the truth of someone who had seen or met Justin."

"Then, what are we going to do with her?" Sid asked, picking up his cup for a drink. "We can't let her go once we're done questioning her; her fighting style is too dangerous and, from what Maka, Soul, Black Star and Tsubaki said, her mental state is one to put into question. She nearly killed you as well, Stein."

"She's far from being unstable, Sid, and I don't die that easily," Stein said, causing the two men to look at him in puzzlement. "When I was fighting her, I could easily see her soul; I haven't seen anything like it in anyone besides Marie."

"Besides Marie-chan?" Shinigami asked.

Stein nodded. "The girl was clearly calm on the inside though it looked as if she had gone berserk on the outside. Even when I managed to subdue her and she was struggling, her soul was still calm. I have to say that this Christine has a very natural calming soul wavelength, perhaps even more calming than Marie's at times."

Shinigami sat quiet for a while, his mask clearly showing that he was thinking; Sid, however, easily picked up on what he was thinking.

"Shinigami-sama," the blue-skinned man began to protest, "You can't be thinking of putting her with Kid, are you?"

"Why not?" Shinigami asked. "It would be better than him sulking around all day in his room; last I was told, Patti and Liz can't get him to come down the stairs anymore."

"You're not trying to play matchmaker again, are you?" Stein asked, his eye well aware of Shinigami's thought process.

"Goodness, no," the Death God said, flapping his hands in a not too convincing manner. "But think about it like this: Kid-kun needs a remedy to help with the remaining madness, and Christine needs to hang around with others her age if we want her to tell us her story."

"Basically," Stein said, "you're saying that we can kill two birds with one stone?"

Shinigami's mask changed to show a gleeful expression. "Correct, Stein; besides, keeping her locked up in a room all day isn't going to help getting her to talk; from what she's possibly gone through these last two years, any aggressiveness toward her will most likely have her shut away more."

"Then, let's have all of Spartoi to help," Sid said. "They'll have to keep an eye on both Kid and Christine for a while if this is going to work."

"Excellent idea, Sid," Stein said, standing up. "I'll let them know about our decision and, when our guest is near to being on her feet again, they can escort her to Gallows Mansion. Now, why don't we pay our friend a visit?"

* * *

"Shinigami-sama wants us to do what?" asked a chorus of voices when Maka had informed them of the decision when they had met in the Spartoi meeting room in the early morning.

"He just wants us to help Christine feel a little welcomed, that's all," Maka said, trying to remain calm despite the fact that she thought that the idea was a little out there.

"Yeah, but having her stay with Kid and the Thompsons," Ox Ford said, adjusting his glasses. "I hope he isn't trying to pair Kid up again; last time was a near disaster."

Everyone nodded in agreement; the last time Shinigami-sama had tried to match Kid up with a girl, the boy had refused to leave his closet out of fear of the girl being unsymmetrical. Sometimes, it seemed that his obsession managed to save himself, though it was more of an annoyance than an actual help.

Thankfully, Shinigami had dropped the issue publicly, but everyone who knew about it was certain that the Death God was secretly trying to match up Kid.

Poor Kid.

"Still," Kilik said as he helped Fire and Thunder to one of the many plates of goodies that had been set out for them, "it's hard to imagine that Justin had a little sister. Honestly, I'd have thought she was a little crazy without the relation."

"I don't think she's insane," Maka said, taking a seat with the others. "Her soul was actually calm, or at least that's what I got from her."

"But what about that style she was using?" Kim asked.

"Yeah," agreed Jacqueline from her seat. "How can we be certain that we don't end up as minced meat; from what we had seen earlier, Stein-sensei looked as if he was struggling."

"He was up until the last moment," Maka said, remembering the sight of Stein's blood on the sword. "Still, I don't think Christine intended to injure Stein-sensei; immobilize him, yes, but not to kill. Besides, she had said herself that she wanted the truth from him, so what would she gain from killing him?"

"Maka's got a point," Soul said. "If she was going to kill him, that girl would have finished Stein off in a move or two."

"She has a name, Soul," Maka said to her partner, picking up a book that had been resting on the table and casually flipping its pages; Soul got the point.

"But what was that fighting style of hers," Harvard asked. "I looked everywhere I could, but I couldn't find anything on it."

"That's because no one knew that it was real." Everyone turned to where Black Star was sitting with Tsubaki. The young Technician had been unusually quit when the group returned to Shibusen, almost as if he was in a daze of some sort.

"You know what she was using, Black Star?" Ox Ford said curiously. "If you do, would you mind telling us about it."

"It's commonly called the 'Two-hand Style'," Black Star said after a moment of silence.

"Two-hand style?" Maka asked.

"I've only heard of it," the young ninja said, his black eyes having the appearance of living a memory, "but it is said to be a style of fighting that relies on one's stamina, strength, and willpower. Where one could fight with two weapons and not tire so easily, and be able to fight for long spans of time—days I have heard—and still continue on as if nothing had happened."

"Something like that really exists?" Soul asked surprised.

Black Star nodded. "But, until now, I had never seen it in action; in fact, I didn't think it was still practiced any more if it had been real, due to the risks and all that."

"Risks?" Jacqueline asked.

"The stories go that," Black Star said uneasily, "the training was so mentally and physically challenging, that many of the people went either insane or never felt the same again. Usually, the teachers would be able to notice if someone's strength was faltering, but sometimes…"

"They'd end up dead, right?" Harvard asked.

Black Star nodded. "That's why it is also known as 'The Way of Dying Style,' since anyone who had tried to master it ended up dead in some way."

An eerie silence settled down on the members, each of them stuck in their own thoughts.

"I bet the two years that Christine vanished was when she was learning the Two-hand Style," Stein said then, walking in through the door. "It would make sense on why we could never find her body alongside her parents."

"Did you get anything out of her, sensei?" Kilik asked.

Stein shook his head. "She's stubborn I'll give her that, and very protective of whatever she has been doing for these last two years, which is anybody's guess." He said, a hand gingerly tapping the screw in his head. "Even Shinigami-sama couldn't get much out of her; she's like a block of ice that refuses to melt."

"Well then," he added, "how about we go and you guys get her to Kid's place; the girls have been informed, but Kid…well…"

"Was hiding in his room?" Maka finished as the group followed their teacher outside the room.

Stein nodded. "You know your friend very well, Maka."

"Only what I've been told."

* * *

"Hey, Stein-sensei," Harvard asked as the group was nearing the hallway that the nurse's office was located on.

"What relation does this girl have with Justin Law exactly?"

The other students became quit and fixed their eyes all on their teacher, who continued to walk forward without looking back.

"They're cousins," he finally said, "but were raised together like a brother and sister. Apparently, Justin's mother and Christine's father were siblings, and both were students at Shibusen though, from what I've heard, Justin's mother dropped that life after meeting her husband; Justin had some opposition about joining Shibusen it seems."

"Then is Christine-chan a Meister or a weapon?" Maka asked, coming up alongside Stein.

"Have you ever seen a Weapon wield another Weapon, Maka?" Stein asked. "No, she is definitely a Meister, but the fact that she doesn't have a partner of her own is strange."

"Maybe she takes after that Justin," Soul said with disdain. "Doesn't need a partner."

"I've never heard of a Meister without a Weapon," Stein said as the group turned the corner. "But in her case, it's possible—."

"STEIN!" Everyone looked down the hall to see Mira running up to them, distress clearly on her face despite the layer of bandages that she wore.

"Mira-san," Maka said when the nurse reached them, "what's wrong?"

"I was just gone for a second, Stein," Mira said between puffs of air. "I wasn't gone for long, but when I got back, Christine-chan wasn't there in the bed."

"What!" Stein said, running past Mira to the room with the others behind him.

Inside the room, it wouldn't have looked like someone had been lying in the bed, as the sheets were pulled back nice and neat, and the hospital clothes were folded nicely and perfectly. The window, however, was fully opened and the curtains were softly blowing in the breeze that came up a while back.

"She must have retrieved her clothes from the clean laundry," Mira explained as Stein peered out the window. "The sword is gone as well from the back room; I'm so sorry, Stein, but I was only gone for hardly a few seconds."

"It's not your fault, Mira," Stein said, shutting the window. "I was fooled as well; I had thought that she had used up what strength she had left during our fight."

"Not if you're a user of the Two-hand Style," Black Star said, causing Mira to look at him in shock.

"If you are right, Black Star" Stein said in agreement, "then she can go on without any food for a time. However, she's a danger to herself and others as long as she carries that sword, so everyone, I want you to search Death City for her. Go with your partner and keeps your eyes open; she could be hiding anywhere and with her soul suppressed."

"Yes sir."

* * *

Thanks so much for the reviews! I hope can continue to keep you waiting for the next chapter.

So please read and review!


	4. Chapter 3

8

Chapter Three: My Name is Chris

Outside, somewhere in Death City, Blair the Cat was having a wonderful time; after a long day of work, the magical feline wanted nothing more than to relax in a nice hot bath, after running a few errands of course.

Turning down a street, Blair's nose twitched at the many different scents that flooded the air; being a cat was so great. Happily walking down the street filled with stores, she wondered what she should get for tonight; ever since she along with the rest of the gang went to rescue Kid, Maka had been a little out of it, especially with her cooking.

Blair could clearly remember the time that Maka had forgotten about the curry that she had set on the oven, and ended up burning it for the tenth plus time. Soul didn't say anything about it though and even ate the burnt stuff without any complaint; Blair couldn't handle it anymore and decided to take on the cooking herself.

_At least Maka-chan was kind enough to give me that cook book_, the Cat Witch thought, looking down at a list she had written that morning. Man, being the cook was hard work; it was a wonder that Maka managed to hold herself together over all of the house chores, and without any use of magic.

Humans were strange creatures in deed.

Blair, being trapped in her thoughts, didn't notice she had strayed to the right a bit too close to the shop there, and walked right into someone.

"Ah, gomen nasai," she exclaimed. "I wasn't watching where I was going and…"

"It's alright," a young girl's voice said. "I'm sure you didn't mean it."

Blair looked at the owner of the voice; it was a girl, maybe Maka's age, with long, pure white hair that was held up in two pigtails by black ribbon with two bells. Her eye were a deep blue and, from what Blair could see, was wearing a tattered black cloak with a somewhat broken clasp that shrouded whatever articles of clothing she had on beneath it, and there was a large sword and scabbard strapped to her back.

"After all," the girl said with a small smile, "I'm sure that whatever you were thinking about was very important to you."

"Ah, well…" Blair stuttered, turning red from embarrassment.

"Here you are, young miss," said a women that came up to them, holding a large bouquet of very red roses.

"Arigato (Thank you)," the girl said, giving the women some money before accepting the flowers. "Have a good day."

"What beautiful roses," Blair said, glad for a change of subject. "Is it for someone?"

"Hai (Yes)," the girl said smiling and her eyes soft. "It's for my parents; I haven't seen them in a while, so this is a returning gift to them."

Blair didn't know what to say; she really didn't have much knowledge concerning family matters, but from what this girl had said, she clearly loved her parents a lot. Maka might be able to pick a couple things from this girl.

"Ah!" Blair suddenly remembered what she had been doing. "I got to hurry and get this shopping done. It's been a pleasure meeting you, um…"

"Chris," the girl said with a smile. "My name is Chris."

"Blair," Blair said, turning around. _What kind of parents give their daughter a boy's name? _the cat girl thought to herself.

"I hope your parents love the flowers." With that, she dashed down the road, not hearing what the young girl said then.

"I know they will," Chris said sadly, looking down at the flowers.

"Even if they are dead."

* * *

"KID!"

In Gallows Mansion, Liz and Patti where maniacally searching around the building. Kid had left the confines of his room without the two sisters knowing and, after an hour of searching, it was clear that their Meister was nowhere to be found in the mansion.

"This is just great," Liz sighed in defeat. Really, why did Kid suddenly decide to go off on his own; he was fully aware of his mental state since being rescued from that mind-messing book and hadn't left even his room because of it.

"Do you think Kid-kun went shopping?" Patti asked.

"Do you really think Kid would go and shop with the state he is in?" Liz asked, not in the mood to put up with Patti's absent-mindedness.

"I'm sure he couldn't have gotten far," Liz said, heading for the door. "Come on, Patti. We need to find him before he hurts himself or others."

"Hai," Patti said cheerfully as she followed her older sister outside.

* * *

At the cemetery, Chris was slowly walking along the aisle of headstones, holding the bouquet close to her chest. The air there was strangely cold, but not cold enough to freeze, but cold nonetheless. The ground around was well kept, the grass trimmed perfectly and the tombstones clean from any debris.

_At least they have a clean place to rest,_ Chris thought as she made her way to the far end of the burial ground, her eyes searching the graves despite that it was near at night.

Finally, she found what she was looking for; underneath the branches of a large willow, stood two headstones, both recent in appearance yet had been subjected to the weather. Chris kneeled down in front of the grave markers, clearly seeing the writing on both.

"Hi, Mom and Dad," she whispered. "I'm sorry I haven't visited in a long time; I was busy training. I brought some flowers," she added as she placed the bouquet between the two markers.

"I have to go away again," Chris continued, her voice sad and full of regret. "I don't know how long, but I can't stay here."

It had been a mistake to come here, she realized now; the fact that she nearly lost herself to her anger was proof of that. Chris believed that, if she didn't leave soon, she would end up hurting someone; they had been nice in helping her after what she had done, but Chris doubted that it was out of kindness.

The tears were building up behind her eyes, but Chris didn't stop them from falling; this was one of the few times she could cry without others seeing her, without being ashamed. The drops soon became streams and Chris's entire body shook with grief as the tears formed little puddles where they landed at the base of the head markers, becoming small areas of a rich red.

* * *

"Any luck, guys," Maka asked when she and Soul met up with the others after an hour of searching.

"Nothing," Tsubaki said. "She is really good at hiding herself; not even Black Star can find her."

"Don't worry about that, Tsubaki," Black Star said, punching a fist into his other hand, "cause when we find her, I'm going to give her a piece of my mind."

"Let's worry about finding her first, Black Star," Kilik said. "Is there any other places that we haven't searched yet."

"About over half of Death City," Soul said with a sigh.

"We should ask around," Kim suggested. "Maybe someone saw her."

The others agreed; they'd need a lot more eyes and ears for this search, and how many people walked around with white hair and carrying a large sword? That wouldn't go unnoticed for sure.

"Let's start at the less populated areas first," Maka said. "I bet she will try to stay out of sight and out the way of other Meisters. Let's meet back in another hour."

"Alright." The others soon headed off in the direction that they came from, leaving Maka, Soul, Black Star, and Tsubaki where they stood.

"Let's get going," Maka told her partner and turned to where they would be heading.

"Yoo-hoo," a familiar voice called out from above just then, making the four friends looking up. There was Blair sitting atop one of her flying pumpkins.

"Blair," Maka called up to the magical cat. "What are you doing here?"

"Shopping," Blair said as the pumpkin rested on the ground, "What else? And why are you here, you four?"

"Where looking for someone," Maka explained. "A girl actually; she was resting at Shibusen but got out somehow."

"Oh," the human-cat said, curious. "What did this girl look like?"

"About our age," Tsubaki said, "with white hair, azure eyes, dressed like a nun…"

"And carrying an oversized sword," finished Black Star.

Blair stared at the four with a shocked expression. "Could this girl be wearing a black cloak that has holes in it?"

"Perhaps," Maka began. "Wait, you saw Christine-chan?"

"So that's her full name? I thought it was odd that parents would give their daughter a boy's name, but that makes sense," Blair mused. "Actually, I bumped into her at the market and ended up talking with her briefly. She bought a large bouquet of roses; said they were for her parents."

"But her parents are dead," Soul protested.

"You really can be clueless, Soul-kun," Blair said, wagging a finger at the boy. "Think for a minute: At what other time would you give flowers to your parents? Think hard, but it should be easy."

"We don't—!" began Black Star, but was interrupted by Tsubaki.

"To put on their graves," the weapon girl exclaimed. "Another time you'd give flowers to your parents is to put on their graves."

"Then she's going to visit her parent's grave?" Maka asked.

"It would seem," Blair said, "but tell me: Why are you looking for her? She seemed like a really nice girl."

"No time to explain, Blair," Maka said as the group turned to head toward the cemetery. "See you later."

Blair watched them go with utmost curiosity; what could that girl have done to have people looking for her? She definitely had to ask Maka and Soul when they got back. With a flick of a finger, the giant pumpkin went up into the air and headed home.

* * *

He didn't know why he had decided to go out, nor did he really care about the reason for the time being. All that Death the Kid knew was that he needed some fresh air; he had been staying in his room for the past few weeks and was desperate for a change of scenery.

Kid had wandered around the many streets of Death City, having enough mental stability in being careful not to wander to any of the more populated areas; he really wasn't willing to face his classmates at the moment.

The memories where all too clear to Kid; he had almost killed his friends, driving by the madness to gain perfect symmetry at the cost of losing the people who had come to save him. He still shuddered at the thought of the insanity appearing _almost_ peaceful, and how he had easily succumbed to it.

His obsession had become his ultimate weakness.

Yet, somehow, he had managed enough sanity left in order to be saved by his friends. Somehow, his friends had managed to reach him when his entire soul was being devoured by the madness that the Old One had inflicted on the boy, and snapped him to his senses before the event became irreversible.

Now that he thought about it, Kid should have informed Liz and Patti that he was heading out for a walk. Then again, the young Shinigami thought, Liz would probably bar his door and refuse to let him out and Patti…she would just be her carefree self and say things that never did fit the situation at hand.

It was then that Kid bothered to look up at his surroundings; somehow, he had ended up at the gate of the cemetery. Strange, he didn't recall turning on this road; still, he had the oddest feeling that he should continue on this way.

Besides, there was a shortcut through the place back to the mansion and Kid might be able to get back before Liz and Patti had noticed his absence if they hadn't already.

* * *

"Maka-chan!" Maka glanced up at the sound of her name to see Liz and Patti Thompson running toward her and her small group as if the Kishin was chasing them.

_What are they doing out here?_ Maka wondered; weren't they supposed to be watching Kid?

"Thank goodness we found you guys," Liz said when the two sisters had stopped in front of them, completely out of breath.

"What's wrong with you guys," Soul asked.

"Kid's gone missing!" Patti exclaimed, her face wearing a cheerful smile.

"What!" the four friends asked loudly.

"Weren't you guys supposed to be—?" Tsubaki began.

"Watching him?" finished Liz. "We were, but Kid somehow got out of the mansion without us knowing and we've been searching for hours."

"Have you informed Shinigami-sama?" Maka inquired.

"Like we would!" Liz said with fear. She didn't want to think of what Shinigami-sama would say if he was told that his currently-insane-son had disappeared and that his weapons, who were suppose to know Kid rather well, had been unable to track him.

"Great," Black Star moaned. "Now, we got two people to find!"

"Two people?" Patti asked with curiosity. "Who's the first?"

"We'll tell you while we look," Maka said. "Let's hurry!"

* * *

Kid didn't notice it at first; being lost in his own thoughts as he had slowly made his way through the burial ground had made him oblivious to what was going on around him when it didn't concern him. When he had stumbled over an uneven patch of dirt, taking him momentarily from his current train of thoughts, the young meisters first became aware of the sound.

It was a soft sound, one that was very close to one crying. He would have thought nothing of it, as this was the cemetery and many came to shed a few tears over the ones no longer here, but the fact that it was nighttime intrigued him.

_No problem to take a look,_ he told himself as he trailed the origin of the sound. It was coming from the far side of the area, a fact that surprised Kid in that he had managed to hear it, and after a few meters of walking, he found the source.

Underneath a willow, was the crouched form of a being, who's sniffling strongly implied that the person in question was female, and the long white hair that was being held up in two pigtails further encouraged Kid's assumption.

Not wanting to startle her, Kid slowly made his way closer or at least that was what he had intended. Unaware of what was on the earth, he had stepped on a lone twig, which broke with a _crack_ when his foot had rested on it, startling both him and the girl.

The girl whirled around with a sound of bells, a hand reaching up to her head, but paused when she faced Kid, who struggled to retain his gasp; her face was painted with two streams of red that fell from her azure eyes and dripped off in heavy drops that hit the earth with a _plop_. On her body was a large, ratty black cloak that covered everything besides the two black hiking boots that she wore on her feet, and where her hand rested Kid saw the long hilt of a giant sword.

The two stared at each other for an unknown amount of time, both unsure of whether to make the first move. If Kid had his partners, he wouldn't have hesitated, but the fact that he didn't made him wary of making any move, and the point that the girl wasn't rushing at him with her sword drawn put him at ease a little.

Another thing that put him at ease was the energy he was reading off her; while having been crying a mere moment or so ago, the girl's soul was abnormally calm, and the wave lengths of it seemed to flow off her much like mist. Kid figured that the energy was covering the area that they were standing, as he couldn't help but feel peaceful at the notion of the energy enveloping him, slowly tugging away all of his fears and uncertainties till there was none left.

Managing to regain control, Kid decided to speak first; the way that the girl's face was twisted in extreme pain made him wonder if she was harmed.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly, yet loud enough to be heard.

The girl didn't say anything and gave a short not, but Kid wasn't buying it.

"Do you need a doctor?" Kid asked, taking a slow step forward, but hesitated when the girl's hand went closer to the hilt; better to play safe for now.

"You look like you're in pain."

"I'm not," the girl said then, her deep blue eyes watching Kid's movement with the fixation like a cat, or so Kid thought.

"But that blood?"

"Oh, this," the girl wiped her face with the hand that had been resting near the sword's hilt. "Sorry, but my tears have a tendency to turn red when I cry; it's normal for me."

"Is that so?" Kid had never heard of any condition like that; he'd have to ask Dr. Stein about it. "Then why are you here?"

"I've come to visit my parents," the girl said, indicating the two head stones that stood behind her. "I haven't been here for a while, so I came to pay my respects."

"Ah," was all that Kid could say. He really didn't have anyone to pay respects to, as his father was Death himself, and didn't understand the reason of it either.

"Why are you here?" the girl asked then, pulling herself up from her crouched position. "You don't look like someone who's come to visit their relatives."

"I was taking a shortcut," Kid said hurriedly, glad that the semi-darkness of the early night was hiding his blush of embarrassment. "My home isn't far from here, and it's quicker to come this way than to go around."

The girl nodded, as if she understood what Kid had been saying, and turned back to the grave stones, her hands gently fussing with something on the ground at the foot of the grave markers. Not clearly sure what to do, Kid made his way to the girl's side and crouched down, watching as she arranged a bouquet of roses between the two markers.

"My parents were a Meister and Weapon team, you know," the girl said after she managed to put the roses to her expectations. "They had been together since they were partnered up, and even stayed together when my mother became a Death Scythe."

"Really?" Kid asked; he was sure that most partners would go their own ways when the Weapon had become a Death Scythe and many rarely partnered up again, or married for that matter.

The girl nodded, a small smile forming from her pink lips. "Aniki always said that they were the strongest team during their time," she added, "and were expected to become more powerful as the years passed."

"What happened then?" Kid asked, his attention fully on the girl beside him.

"It was a mission," the girl said, her voice soft and depressed. "Was suppose to be a simple one, with only the extermination of an Evil Human, but they ended up having to fight an entire swarm of them; they managed to fight them off until they were finally overtaken. They were able to have a proper burial, unlike Onii-san."

"Was your Onii-san a student at Shibusen?" Kid asked, thinking that if this girl was about his age, then her brother might have died recently.

The girl nodded again, her eyes becoming moist. "Just like Oka-chan and Oto-san, Aniki was said to have fallen prey to a large amount of Evil Humans, but there was no remains to give him a proper burial."

The tears came then, and Kid was startled on how close the red liquid resembled blood and giving the girl the appearance that she was bleeding from deep cuts beneath her eyes. Her hands came up in hopes to hide her face, but Kid managed to decipher the words that she said next.

"But it was all a lie," the girl sobbed, her body shaking from the force of her sorrow. "Aniki hadn't died, and he worked as a Death Scythe all this time, and he never bothered to tell me that he was alive and well!"

"Then," the girl continued, taking her face out of her hands and staring at the red liquid that had covered them, "when I saw him two months ago by accident, I knew that it was him, but he was completely different. He had a horrible energy flowing out of him; as if he had been dwelling in the most horrid of places, and then…then…I saw _It_."

"_It_?" Kid asked.

"The most horrid being imaginable," the girl sobbed. "It was hovering around Aniki, constantly whispering something to him, and I could only stand there as I felt the insanity coming off it and encircling him. It was a monstrous being, and I knew that the brother I had known was trapped under the influence of that monster!"

The girl's wails escalated to becoming a scream of anguish, and it was all Kid could do not to jump away in fear. He had never seen anyone in more pain and sorrow, and while he had thought that the fight with the remaining sanity was a tough one, this girl had clearly gone through much more than he had.

"How touching," a voice said from behind them. "And for a moment I was going to cry."

Kid stiffened at the sound of the voice; he had been so preoccupied with the girl's story that he hadn't bothered to take notice of his environment.

Suddenly the girl's crying stopped and when she spoke, it sounded as if a cold wind had blown through.

"You sure took your time showing yourself, you twisted remains of a human," the girl said in a cold voice, turning around the face the owner of the voice with Kid following suit.

It was one of those who had retained their human form and mentality, but the entire being was bloated almost, most likely from all of the innocent souls that it had consumed. The hair was greasy and unkempt, standing this way and that as the Evil Human stood watching the two humans with drool coming from its mouth in a small flow.

"I'm quite surprised really," the Evil Human said, the eyes that had once been human gazing with a bloodlust drive, "to find two Meisters here without their weapons present; I thought that those groups were tight-knit."

"Who says that I'm a Meister?" the girl said, standing up to her full height while Kid remained where he was. He had thought that the girl was a Meister, but the fact that she had said otherwise told him different.

"I have no use of a Weapon, when I have this," the girl said, a hand reaching up to grasp the swords hilt. Her hand didn't move to remove the blade from the holder, but the girl was clearly ready to draw it at a moment's notice.

"Ha," the Evil Human laughed maniacally. "What does a simple weapon like that have against me? You couldn't use any techniques with that!"

The girl's eyes stared at the Evil Human without any emotion, and Kid wondered if this was the same girl who had been crying her heart out minutes before.

"Would you like to try this blade out on your rotting flesh, then?" the girl asked, pulling the blade up to show the double iron edge slightly.

The lips of the Evil Human turned up in a snarl that sent shivers down Kid's spine.

"Forget eating your soul, brat," the creature growled as the nails on its hands grew into claws. "I'll be satisfied hearing you scream when I rip you to shreds!"

With that, the Evil Human lunged at them, with the claws raised for a strike.

"Look out," Kid screamed, unsure that it would make a difference as the Pre-Kishin reached the girl at astonishing speed.

"This is the end of you, brat!" the being yelled, bring a clawed appendage down for a killing swipe.

* * *

I had a lot of trouble deciding where this story is going, but I believe that I have managed the first few chapters.

Let me know what you think, and thanks.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: A Healing Touch

Maka halted at the gate of the Cemetery as the others entered in, her senses all on alert at the energy that she had felt. It had come suddenly that the scythe Meister had been unprepared that the entire force of it almost knocked her over.

"What's wrong, Maka?" Soul asked, returning to his partner's side.

"There's an Evil Human in there," Maka said, clutching a hand to her head; the pure power of it was near unbearable.

"And it's fighting someone with a powerful soul."

"You don't think it got to Kid before we did, do you?" Liz asked, panic clearly inscribed on her face.

Maka shook her head. "I can sense Kid," she said, walking through the gate to join the rest followed by Soul. "He's shaken, but alright. He's not the one fighting the Evil Human, though."

"Then it could be…" Tsubaki began.

"Most likely," Maka said. "We better hurry."

* * *

Kid didn't know how to comprehend on what had just happened; one moment, the Pre-Kishin was bringing its over-sized clawed hands down on them, and the next it was thrown ten feet from where he and the girl where.

"You think something so obvious would work?" the girl asked mockingly, the sword above her head where it had connected with and sent the Pre-Kishin flying.

The Evil Human got up, muttering profanities under its breath. "You'll pay for that, brat," it hissed. "You'll wish that you had let me kill you the first time!"

The girl smirked. "You're welcome to try; you oversized walking pile of decomposing trash!"

If he had a say in it, which he really didn't at the moment, Kid would have warned her that, without a Weapon, she held little chance against an Evil Human that had gorged on Innocent Human Souls for who knows how long. Still, the way that the girl stood, with her ratted cloak billowing in the wind that had picked off, it clearly showed that she was confident in what she had said.

"Kid!"

Alerted to the sound of his name, Kid glanced over to see Maka, along with the rest of the gang, running up to him. He also spotted Liz and Patti, and a groan began to form in his throat but quickly shoved it down; now was not the time to act like a little kid.

"What a pain," the Kishin said at the arrival of the others. "There's no way I can take all of you on."

"You won't have to," the girl said. "You're fight is with me."

"Kid, you alright," Liz asked when she and Patti reached their Meister.

"Yeah, I'm alright," Kid said, moving to stand but fell back down with a hand over his beating heart. _Darn it,_ he thought as his breathing escalated. _Not now!_

"Kid!" Liz exclaimed, diverting all attention to the young Shinigami, including the girl's.

Taking the chance of a diversion, the Evil Human rushed at the girl again, swiping forward with one hand; the girl was able to block the attack with her large blade sword, but clearly was caught a little off guard.

"Look out!" Maka screamed as Soul changed into his Weapon form, but was too slow to help the girl.

"Fooled you!" the creature sneered, bringing its other limb up of an upward attack.

_Splat._

The Evil Human howled in pain as it stared at the bleeding stump that once was its hand; everyone stared in shock as they glanced between the lifeless member on the ground and the girl with the large sword that now wasn't a large sword anymore. Somehow, the girl's sword had split in two without anyone else realizing, as if she had anticipated the Pre-Kishin's moves from the start, with one held parallel to the earth, the thick, nearly black liquid dripping along the edge of the thin blade in thick drops.

Kid's hand gripped tighter on his chest, certain that the knuckles had gone white from the pressure. He could feel the insanity billowing off the Evil Human, but it was coming into conflict with the girl's own wavelengths. The young Shinigami didn't know who was winning or losing in this battle of wills, but all he wished right now was for it to be over; the madness was trying to draw him in again.

"What creatures of habit," Kid believed he heard the girl say, drawing him back from his current thought. The girl lunged forward with surprising speed and the Evil Human didn't move in time to evade; another hand came off and landed at its owner's feet.

Everyone was sure time had stopped as they watched the Evil Human back away, swinging its bleeding stubs in the air. Kid couldn't understand it. She had just crippled a Kishin Egg with little trouble and clearly didn't look tired—in fact, she appeared bored. Just _who_ was this girl; his mind was whirling with all of the possibilities, but none made any sense.

"Curse you! Curse you!" it screamed, blood dripping from the fresh wounds.

"If you want to curse someone," the girl said, pulling off her cloak with a sword-filed hand as she backed away from the creature and letting it fall to the earth. "Then blame yourself for your stupidity."

Despite the lack of light, Kid could clearly see that the girl was dressed in a modified nun's robe, which was pure black and white with no designs what so ever from what he could see. Her white hair blew in the wind that had suddenly picked up, and the soft ringing of bells came from her that Kid noticed the four bells in her hair for the first time.

The swords, he saw, looked as if they were actually halves of the one sword and, if the situation wasn't as it was, he would have commented on how symmetrical they were.

"A nun?" The Pre-Kishin asked in shock and rage. "What kind of nun goes around carrying a big sword?"

"One," the girl said, bringing the blades together to form the large, single blade, "who seeks for revenge."

Before anyone could breathe, the Kishin's body was hewed in two, dissipating and leaving the scaled, reddish-tint soul where it had once stood. The girl stood with her back turned to it, her arm stretched out with the sword, having moved forward to deliver an attack that no one had seen performed.

"Cool," Patti chimed happily, her blue eyes wide in awe.

"Maka," Liz turned to the Scythe Technician, "Who is this girl?"

"She's-," Maka began, but was halted by a grunt of pain that diverted everyone's attention back to.

Kid had slumped forward, his hand gripping his chest; it had become hard to breathe, and even after the Kishin egg had been destroyed it was still present.

"Ahh!" Kid groaned, his eyes squeezed shut and sweat coming off of him in thick drops.

"Kid, you alright?" Liz asked, hovering protectively over her Meister.

"Not good," Maka said, immediately noticing the change in Kid's Soul; the insanity was trying to take hold again.

"We need to get him to Dr. Stein—," Tsubaki started.

"No time," the girl ran up to Kid as she placed her sword in its scabbard, kneeling down at the boy's level and placing a hand on his chest.

"Hey, what are you—?" Liz began, but halted at the presence of a soothing aura.

Everyone looked on in awe as the girl's hand had begun to glow with a whitish energy that seemed to be absorbed by Kid's body. The young Shinigami's breathing began to relax and he fell backwards, only to be caught by Liz and Patti who sat in amazement at the girl.

After a while, the energy subsided and the girl withdrew her hands; Kid was unconscious, but it was a peaceful one where no one had to worry about the insanity.

"Aww, cute," Patti crooned at the boy's sleeping face.

"Haven't seen that for a while," Liz agreed as she slipped Kid onto her back.

"Hey," Black Star said then, bring everyone to look at the girl.

"And just where do you think you're going, Christine?" the blue-haired ninja asked, having stepped in front of the girl with his arms spread wide.

"You're leaving your prize." Soul added, indicating the non claimed Kishin soul hovering a yard or so away.

"Christine?" Liz asked Maka.

Maka waved it off. "I'll explain later."

"I have no use for those _things_," Christine said acidly, sidestepping around Black Star. "It's welcome to any of you."

"Well, don't think you're going to leave that easily," Black Star said, stepping in front of Christine's path again with a stern look. "You've caused a lot of trouble for Shibusen, so you need to explain to Shinigami-san your actions."

"There's nothing to explain," she said, her eyes as empty as they had been that morning. "I do apologize for attacking your teacher without any thought on my part, but I will only bring trouble if you associate with me."

"Too late for that," Maka said, joining Black Star. "We all came here looking for you, Christine-chan, so don't expect us to leave you alone that easily. Besides, Stein doesn't hold you accountable; you can ask him yourself back at Shibusen."

If Christine was shocked by Maka's declaration, she didn't show it and instead stared at Maka right in the eye, who eagerly returned it. The Scythe Technician wanted to make it clear that this girl wasn't going anywhere without answering some questions and it was clear that Christine knew that as well.

Christine suddenly laughed just then, causing everyone to stare at her puzzled. They slightly relaxed at the sound at it carried across the grounds, tears of red forming at the corner of Chris's eyes and sliding down her cheeks with such thickness that shocked everyone else.

"Aniki was right," she said when her laughter settled, wiping the liquid from her eyes. "Shibusen's people are stubborn; guess that's what saved them time after time."

Maka smiled and laughed as well. "More than you can imagine, Christine-chan."

"Please don't call me that," Christine said, tugging at one of her hair ribbons. "It's too much of a mouthful; just Chris is fine."

"Well then, Chris," Maka said, walking to the girl's side. "You better come with us and explain to Shinigami-sama why you decided to vanish without talking to him."

"I guess I don't have much of a choice," Chris said with a sigh, clearly seeing that she was outnumbered.

* * *

"Well, well, Christine-chan," Shinigami said to the girl. "I'm quite surprised that you came willingly this time; I was afraid that you'd have to be dragged in here again."

"I apologize for my actions earlier, Shinigami-san," Chris said from her seat in the Death Room. Everyone else had been shooed outside the moment Chris had entered so that the Death God could chat privately with her.

That didn't stop the group from trying to eavesdrop on the other side of the door. Chris could easily sense their souls through the door and the amount of questions that were building up around them, but she paid them no mind.

"I'm the one who should apologize," Shinigami said his mask in a sorrowful face. "You should have been told the truth, in private if at all, about Justin, but he didn't think that was a wise choice."

Chris shook her head. "Aniki was always like that," she said with recollection.

Shinigami looked at the girl puzzled; she had long since traded in her uniform—if it could be called that—for a simple black T-shirt and pants. Her hair was let down from the two pigtails and gave the young girl the appearance of a Japanese Princess, but the ribbons and bells were wound around her wrists, the bells ringing each time Chris moved her arms.

_Quite symmetrical, she is,_ the Death God thought to himself. _I wonder if Kid noticed; possibly not, with the way his mind is behaving now._

"Shinigami-san," Chris said then, bringing Shinigami back to the conversation.

"What…what will happen to me now?" Chris asked; she had been plagued with the thought ever since she had come back with the others…Spartoi was what they called themselves?—Chris couldn't recall at the moment.

"Oh ho, I'm glad you asked, Christine-chan," Shinigami said, his mask altering to a smiling one. "You see, just before you got up and vanished, I had decided to put you someplace where your, uh, _gifts _could be of much use."

"My gifts?" Chris really didn't like where this was going, but forced herself to sit it out.

"Yes," Shinigami said, feeling a little pressure from the hard gaze that Chris was currently giving him; where in the world did she learn to pull off a "If-looks-could-kill" stare?

"I'm sure you have met my son, Kid? He was with you in the cemetery," Shinigami began after managing to find the words to use.

_In the cemetery?_ Chris thought back to the events at the cemetery. It couldn't have been the four she had met previously in the day, nor the two girls with matching outfits.

So it had to have been…

"I remember," she said softly, not wanting to let the others outside hear if they could. "Black hair with those three lines, gold eyes, and wears a black and white suit, correct?"

"That's the one," Shinigami said gleefully. "You see, Kid-kun's been having a tough time lately and his sanity is one to put into question. Stein told me of your calming soul, so I decided that—."

"You want me to keep an eye on him and, if possible, help him recover from whatever is ailing him?" Chris asked, her eyes taking on a knowing glint.

"Correct, Christine-chan," Shinigami said, making a mental note to watch out for this one; she was clearly a bright one, and obviously didn't beat around the bush.

"I asked the other members of Spartoi to escort you to the mansion," he added. "I'd also like you to take a placement test to see where you are in the ranks, since you are clearly going to be a member of Shibusen from today onward."

Chris looked at the Death God for such a long time that Shinigami wondered if she had fallen asleep with her eyes opened. He was half tempted to wave a hand in front of her, but thought against it when she blinked.

On the other hand, Chris's mind was a whirlwind; her being a member of Shibusen? She had always wanted to come here along with Aniki, but after he had…vanished, Chris had put such notion aside. Still, would the others accept her, especially after what had happened that morning?

The girl called Maka seemed nice enough, so did the other one called Tsubaki, but Chris wasn't too sure about their partners. Still, how could she refuse a chance like this—even if she had to be babysitter for half the time?

"I accept your offer, Shinigami-san," Chris said finally. "Just do one thing for me."

"What's that, Christine-chan," Shinigami asked, his head cocked to the side.

"Please call me Chris."

* * *

I couldn't wait to get this chapter up, so I got it done as quickly as I could.

I really enjoy the reviews and I hope that you will continue to enjoy this story.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: First Night

_This place certainly lives up to its name_, Chris thought as she ascended the front stairs of Gallows Mansion surrounded by the Spartoi members. The place looked just as if it had been used as an execution site, with nooses hanging from the seemingly dead trees, and guillotines that were located on the sides of the barren yard.

Christine began to wonder if it had been a good idea to come here; she'd have to watch out for Shinigami-san, that guy was sneaky as they come.

"Welcome, you guys," Liz greeted when she opened the door. "Shinigami-sama told us of the new addition." She added, smiling sweetly at Chris.

"How's Kid?" Maka asked when everyone was inside.

"Asleep, thanks to Chris," Liz said with a relieved smile toward Chris. "I can't remember the last time he had slept like that. Even Patti can't wake him up with all of her yapping."

"By the way," Liz added, eyeing the girl from head to feet. "Is that all you have?"

Chris nodded; her clothes had been put in the wash earlier by Maka, who promised to return them tomorrow. Now, she was garbed in the clothes that Maka had loaned her, though the black hiking boots were still on her feet and the sheathed sword resting against her back.

Chris had also put her hair back up in the ribbons before she had left, though she was certain one was a little lower than the other, and had her cloak draped over body with the newly repaired clasp.

"Honestly," Liz said, taking Chris's bag from her, peering in it. "How in the world did you survive for so long without any food?"

"It wasn't that hard," Chris said. "I caught scorpions and lizards to feed on; not the best source of food, but they are quite tasty."

Chris immediately wished she hadn't said anything, as everyone in the foyer was now staring at her in either disgust or bafflement.

"You ate those things?" Black Star asked, almost with awe in his voice.

"Yes," Chris said, slightly puzzled._ What, didn't people eat scorpions and lizards anymore?_

"Well, then," Liz said, handing Chris her bag. "We'll have to get some proper food in you, but how about you go take a bath first?"

"Okay," Chris said, secretly glad that she had her bag back with her.

"Patti," Liz called down the foyer, and Patti poked her head out of a doorway.

"Yeah, sis?"

"Show Chris where the bathroom is," Liz said to her sister.

"And I suggest that you make sure that it is exactly as you found it," she added to Chris before the young girl followed the younger Thompson down the hall.

"Okay Maka," Liz turned to the Technician when the two were out of sight. "Spill the beans; who is this girl? First off, she has the calmest soul that I have ever met next to Marie-sensei; second, she easily incapacitated a Kishin without the use of a Weapon; and third, she managed to calm Kid down before he went berserk!"

Maka flinched; trust Liz to get right to the point.

"She's a relative of Justin Law," Tsubaki said instead, causing Liz to gasp in shock.

"A cousin, actually," Maka added quickly, "but something happened to her parents and Chris was taken in by Justin's. The two had been close I guess, before Justin left to come to Shibusen, and she was lied to that Justin had died during a mission after he became a Death Scythe."

"So she came here looking for the truth on Justin?" Liz asked.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Do you think she knows about…you know…"

Maka shrugged. "Who knows," she said. "But Shinigami-sama wants us to keep an eye on her while she helps Kid with the remaining madness in him."

"He isn't trying to match Kid up again, is he?" Liz asked with a cocked eyebrow, remembering full too well what happened the last time.

"According to him, no," Soul said, leaning against the wall next to Black Star.

"But who knows what that guy thinks."

"Alright you guys," Liz said. "It's late; you guys head home for some rest. Hopefully, we can get Kid to come outside now after what he did today, and we'll see you in class tomorrow with our new student."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Maka said as the others walked out the door.

* * *

Chris didn't know what to think; two bathtubs in one bathroom? Not only that, but the room looked as if it was a mirror image of one side.

_Shinigami-san did say that his son did have a little obsession;_ Chris recalled from what the Death God told her before she left the Death Room. _Is this what he was talking about?_

How could someone live like this, Chris was not sure; walking over to a tub, she slowly turned the water on and adjusted the hot and cold to her preference. She then took off her clothes and, finding the soap and shampoo where Patti said they would be, slipped into the warm water.

A sigh escaped her lips; it had been a long time since she had a bath like this. Months or was it years, Chris couldn't recall; she had always used a bucket of water to clean herself with, but this was relaxing her tired limbs instead of freezing them.

Taking a breath, Chris submerged in the water for a few seconds before coming up with her hair wet. She reached over for the shampoo and, taking a small amount, began to vigorously scrub her scalp; her hair was so filthy that it could have been mistaken for a light blond color.

After several minutes—and repeated washing—Chris turned her attention to her skin, taking the bar of soap and a washcloth in hand, and began to scrap away the dead skin and grime from her body. She had possibly rubbed a little too hard, as her skin had turned a bright pink before Chris was through.

Patti had been kind enough to lend Chris a pair of sleeping wear, as Maka had clearly neglected that bit, as well as giving her a towel before departing to help her older sister. Chris decided that she liked Patti; it wasn't often there was a person who could smile in the hardest of times.

Wrapping the towel around her slim body as she climbed out of the tub, Chris happened to stare at the image in one of the mirrors. The girl's hair was a glowing white and reached well past her knees, and her eyes were glowing pits of azure that, at the moment, didn't show any emotion. Her skin was pale as well, giving her the appearance of a ghost with pure blue eyes, but was pinked from the scrubbing and the hot water.

_Do I really look like that?_ Chris wondered as she studied the reflection; she had rarely bothered to look at herself, since she never had a mirror to begin with. Iki-san had never had one on hand either.

At the thought of her teacher, Chris's eyes softened; she wondered how the old man was doing. Last time they spoke was when Chris had left to seek out the truth on her brother, and it hadn't been a remorseful parting.

_Still,_ Chris thought. _Iki-san must miss company, despite being the grouch he is._ She smiled at the thought as she dressed herself in the sleep wear.

Remembering then what Liz had said, Chris quickly tidied up the room and, once everything was back in its place, she left. Maybe she could grab something to eat at the kitchen.

_

* * *

This is not good,_ Liz thought as she stared at her Meister.

Kid had woken up sooner than Liz had hoped, and the look on his face now was one of pure terror. She had been cooking for four people, planning to refrigerate Kid's for the morning, but when Kid had unexpectedly entered the kitchen, his hair already combed back from waking, the boy had asked who the fourth dish was for.

And being the truthful girl that she could be, Liz answered without a second thought.

"Why does Father never cease to torment me?" Kid then howled, his hands raking at his black hair. "How could he suddenly decide to have someone come live with us?"

"Kid, calm down," Liz said, trying to quell her Meister's panic before it became too big. "Patti and I knew about this for a while, and we've already met the girl. She's very nice too."

"Is she a mess, a disaster, a catastrophe?" Kid asked in a loud voice. "As if trying to match me up was bad enough, now he's trying to get me to let a girl stay here! What is my Father thinking?"

"Kid, will you calm down," Liz hissed, not wanting this to continue on. "You've already met her, so that should be okay, right?"

At that, Kid stopped his rant to look at the older girl with puzzlement; he had already met the girl? Kid couldn't remember any girl that his Honorable Father would consider boarding at Gallows Mansion, mostly since there were apartments around the city that had many vacant spots.

Just then, the object of their discussion walked through the kitchen door.

"Am I interrupting something?" Chris asked; hold the door open with a hand. She was dressed in what clearly had to be Patti's sleepwear, as it was pink with panda bears on it.

Liz and Kid stared in shock, but it wasn't what she was wearing that was the issue.

If she had been clean before, Chris was polished now; her hair was down and still wet from her bath, shining like the moon reflecting on water, and her skin was a pure white canvas. Her eyes were as clear as ever and currently had a glint of confusion in them.

"You didn't say that _she _would be staying," Kid mumbled to Liz.

"You didn't ask for the name," Liz shot back. "You look a lot better, Chris. Want to eat?"

Chris nodded, trying to figure out what the two had been previously talking about. She sat down at the table and graciously accepted the plate from Liz. The contents were a chicken breast, potatoes covered in gravy, something that Chris couldn't remember the last time she had eaten, and the smell was a little overwhelming in that it was all that Chris could do not to cover her nose.

She gingerly took the fork and knife in her hands and began to eat. Her eyes widened at the taste of the food and, against her better judgment, began to gorge on the meat and vegetable.

"Hey, hey, not so fast," Liz warned with a smile. "You'll burst your stomach doing that."

"Sorry," Chris said, wiping some gravy from her mouth with the napkin. She knew that Iki-san would be displeased in her giving in to food, as she had been taught that eating was for surviving, not for pleasure.

Liz laughed at the girl's meek expression; was this the girl's real self? Sure was different from what she had been told earlier about the girl who managed to land a hit on the somewhat crazy Stein. Liz felt that this kid could get along well here.

_You're alright, Chris,_ she thought as she watched the young girl finish eating at a slower pace as she washed the dishes.

_You're alright.

* * *

_

An hour later, Liz was showing Chris to where she would be staying for the time being. The girl had eaten the amount that her stomach could handle without exploding, though Chris was certain she had eaten a little too quickly, as her abdomen felt somewhat bloated, but she didn't say anything.

The hallway, like the rest of the house, was symmetrical with a side being the mirror reflection of the other. Two similar pictures, statues, plants, or whatever was placed exactly across from each other, and the oddity of it all had Chris wondering how anyone could live like this.

Looking up at the older girl, Chris figured that Liz was the best person to ask.

"Um, Liz," Chris began. "Does Kid have a little…?"

"Obsession?" finished Liz. "Yeah, he does, and that is part of the reason of his current predicament."

"You mean the residual insanity?" Chris asked, clearly remembering the event at the cemetery. "How did it happen?"

Liz stopped and turned around to look at the girl; her face wasn't one of anger like Chris had thought, but one of an older sister concerned.

"I guess you ought to know, Chris, since you'll be here a while." Liz sighed and began to recount of the Book of Eibon incident while the two continued their trek down the hallway.

After nearly five minutes, all that Liz knew from the time of Kid's capture to his rescue had been told and Chris had fallen silent without asking a single question.

"Did Aniki have something to do with that?" she asked finally.

"In some way, yes," Liz admitted.

Chris looked down at the ground; she should feel embarrassed that her relative had turned against what they had grown up believing, but instead, she felt anger.

Anger to the _thing_ that had caused her beloved brother to commit such acts, and she decided to become more determined to find and save Justin.

"You can stay here, Chris," Liz said then, breaking Chris's thoughts, pushing open a door and stepping aside to allow Chris to enter.

Inside was a single bed set against the center of the far wall, and two identical dressers on the adjacent sides, once again being a perfect replication of one side.

_The obsession even reaches the non used rooms_, Chris realized with an inward sigh as she looked around the room.

"We can get you stuff to put in this room later," Liz said. "Just try to get some sleep tonight and we'll hopefully leave for school tomorrow."

Chris nodded and, after Liz had shut the door, set her small pack on the mattress and her sword against one of the two dressers. She immediately decided that there was going to be some changes in this room, and with that thought, snuggled beneath the covers and fell asleep.

* * *

**Sorry that it took a while to get this up; minor case of writer's block.**

**Let me know what you think and your reviews are greatly appreciated.  
**


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Questions and Answers

Morning came early for Chris and in the rudest way possible.

No sooner had Chris opened her eyes that Patti had burst in through the door with a loud and cheerful "Good Morning" that had Chris fall out of bed in pure panic and sword in hand. Luckily, Liz had intervened before any damage became irreversible and pulled her sister out of the room while telling the terror-stricken guest that breakfast was ready.

When Chris entered the eating room, dressed and ready for the day, she again had to hold the urge of holding her nose against the many different and overwhelming scents that came through the door. Kid, Liz and Patti had already began to eat, so Chris set herself down without a word at her plate and began to eat.

She didn't gorged this time as her stomach was a little sore from the amount from the previous night, but did manage to eat the food without any discomfort. Chris could feel Kid's eyes on her, but she shook it off.

_Guess he still isn't use to the idea of me being here,_ Chris had told herself as she bit into the scrambled eggs, almost flinching at the rubbery texture. Figures, no one besides Iki-san had wanted her after her parent's death, and she was only here now as an assignment from Shinigami.

Still, Chris couldn't help from not wanting to be wanted by others; Aniki had been the only one to understand her for years, but now Chris was ready to reach out to others.

The only question was how to do so.

"Hey, Chris," Liz said, breaking the silence then. "Can you see souls?"

Chris glanced up over at the older girl, a little puzzled by the girl's question.

"Why do you ask, Liz-san?" She asked, taking another small bite from the food.

"Well, from what we saw yesterday," Liz began, clearly ignoring the glances from Kid. "You knew that the Evil Human was in the cemetery, yet you acted like you didn't even notice it. Maka was able to sense it from the minute we came to the cemetery, so I figured that you could as well."

"Don't all Technicians see souls?" Chris asked, confused at the explanation.

"Eh, not all do," Liz admitted. "Black Star can't read souls worth a grain of salt and Maka is on the same level of Soul Perception as Stein, or perhaps even higher."

"Is that so?" Chris looked down at her dish in deep thought.

"I don't know if I can or not," she admitted after a while, earning puzzled looks from the trio.

"Then you'll have to find out," Kid said then, finishing his meal. "I understand that Chichue wants you to take a placement test?"

Chris nodded. "I guess he wants to know where I stand among other Meisters."

"Don't worry, Chris-chan," Patti said happily as she ate. "You'll beat them up no problem!"

"Patti, don't talk with your mouth full," Liz said under her breath. She then caught a small curve of Chris's lips and couldn't help not to smile herself; Chris was going to do fine.

* * *

An hour later, the four were heading toward the school; Kid was silent while his two weapons were happily chatting amongst each other.

Chris followed from behind; Maka had come by way before daybreak to deliver Chris's clothes, which she now wore with her tattered cloak with a newly repaired clasp. She made a mental note to thank Maka for returning her clothes the next time she saw the Scythe Technician.

Now, Chris's thoughts drifted to her _evaluation_ test; Shinigami had said he wanted to know what rank to give her, but Chris wondered what was so special about rank. Iki-san had trained Chris on the belief that you are strong if you can survive a fight, and one's rank didn't say anything about one's skill.

Still, Chris wondered who she would be up against; she doubted it was the Stein fellow, as he was still recovering from his wound or so she believed. She also doubted any of the students would be willing to come up against her after witnessing what she had done the previous day.

Now that she thought about it, Chris wondered what they would be testing her on. Her fighting skills weren't a possible question after seeing what she could do; perhaps her control on her soul's wavelength?

Iki-san had trained her relentlessly over the two years she had been his apprentice to manipulate her wavelengths as, according to him, if you control your soul, you control the result of the battle. He had taught her everything about the Two-Hand Style and for that Chris was grateful; she didn't need a partner in order to perform a Soul Resonance, yet Chris wondered at the same time if others could do so as well.

At that moment, Chris realized what she was thinking and shook her head; no way could she be the only one, since Iki-san could do the same despite his old age. She knew that she shouldn't freight over such things, but there was a sickening feeling in her stomach that wouldn't go away without a fight.

"Hey, Chris," Liz said then, breaking Chris's train of thought.

"Yes, Liz-san?" Chris replied.

"Are you planning on taking a partner, by chance?" Liz asked.

"Why should I?" Chris asked, puzzled. "I have this after all." She gently touched the hilt of her giant sword with a hand.

"Well, yeah, but I think you'd be a great Technician if you had a partner of your own." Liz said. "Besides, every single weapon is going to be asking to be your partner after seeing you in action yesterday."

"Is that normal?" Chris couldn't remember anything that Aniki had told her during the time he would talk to her about Shibusen that spoke on weapons asking people to be their partners. And Iki-san had taught her that relying on a partner could lead to trouble in the future.

"Of course," Patti said cheerfully.

"I've never heard of a Meister without a partner," Kid added. "Even though I'm a Shinigami myself, I decided to have partners."

"Is it because their weapon forms look the same?" Chris asked with a sly smile.

Kid stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at Chris with a shock expression.

"Who told you that?" he asked.

Chris shrugged with a roll of her eyes. "Just something I heard; people talk after all. Besides, your father did say you had a little obsession for a while."

Liz laughed then and slapped Kid on the back. "She's got you on that, Kid!"

_I'm definitely going to speak to Chichue on this_, Kid thought as he turned around to continue walking.

"So are you going to get a partner or not?" He asked over his shoulder, not really expecting a reply.

"I'll think about it," she said simply after a while of silence that had Kid surprised.

* * *

**Sorry that this is such a short chapter, but I didn't want to make it too long.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Chris's First Day

"Good morning," the members of Spartoi greeted the four newcomers outside of Shibusen.

"Hiya," Liz said in return. "Look who finally decided to come out of his shell," she pointed her thumb over her shoulder at Kid.

"That's rather rude, Liz," Patti said with a grin, though it was clear that the younger Thompson girl found the comment funny.

The rest of the group immediately came up to Kid, asking on how he was, to which the young Shinigami said that everything was alright.

During this progression of events, Chris stood off to the side; she didn't think that she deserved to be involved with the group just yet, since she was certain that none of them trusted her. As she watched the group of friends welcome their friend back from his absence, Chris couldn't help but feel that it looked like something her parents would have done when they had been alive.

Unfortunately, her attempts to be unnoticed didn't exactly work.

"Hey, Chris-chan," Maka called over to the lone girl as she approached.

"Just Chris," Chris corrected, wondering how many times she'd have to say that just to get the point across.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Maka asked, trying to come up with something to talk about with the fair-haired girl.

Chris nodded. "Very well," she said, deciding not to mention Patti's rude awakening tactic, "and thanks for washing my clothes."

"Aw, it was nothing," Maka said with a grin. "By the way, I heard that Shinigami-sama wants you to take a placement test."

Chris nodded again. _Does everyone know about that?_ She wondered.

"Hey, you two," Soul called out from where the others stood. "Class is going to start soon, so let's get going."

"Alright, alright," Maka said. "Let's go, Chris-chan. There's no reason to be late on your first day."

_The diligent type, huh?_ Chris wondered then as she followed Maka to join the others.

"It's just Chris!"

* * *

"She's here, Shinigami-sama," Sid said, looking out from a window of the school.

"Kid decided to come along as well," he added.

"Oho, that's wonderful," Shinigami said, his face looking at the large mirror in the Death Room to see Chris walking among the group, talking small talk with Maka if it could be called that.

"Has the registration been made?" he inquired.

"Yes, all of the papers are filed," the zombie said. "But Shinigami-sama, is it really okay to put her in a class so soon? I mean, she clearly isn't a danger as long as she isn't provoked, but do you really think that this is important?"

"If we want her to open up to us, Sid-kun," the death god said, "she needs to be around others her age. You still haven't found out where she has been for the past two years?"

Sid sighed. "The kid is good," he admitted. "She managed to successfully fall off the grid for two years. Still trying to find out where she was living, but I think the best source would be from her; if we can get her to talk, that is."

"Don't worry about that for now," Shinigami said. "Just make sure that Chris-chan is welcomed. We don't want her to be nervous for the exam, do we?"

_No need to worry about that,_ Sid thought as he exited.

_Everyone has that already taken care of.

* * *

_

"Okay class," Stein said as he stood beside Chris at the start of class. "This is Christine Law, a new student that'll be with us for a while. So, I want you to give her a warm welcome and help adjust to the school, alright?"

"Hai!" answered a chorus of voices.

"Now then," Stein said after the noise died down. "Is there any questions for Miss Law? Yes?" He pointed to a girl in the back of the room.

"Hey, Chris-chan, where did you learn to fight like you do?" the girl asked.

"It's Chris, and I was taught it by a good friend," Chris said, trying as best she could to not blush. She didn't like the idea of talking about herself in front of so many strangers, but Chris had come to the conclusion that it was alright to say a little.

"How long did it take you to learn that fighting style?" A boy asked from the far side of the room.

"I've been training for about two years," Chris said, starting to find this overwhelming. "There's still much I don't know, but I was taught the bulk of it."

The questions continued on like this for about twenty minutes, ranging from her favorite things to if she had a boyfriend or not, which embarrassed Chris greatly and resulted in a much despised blush. By the time that she was able to take her seat beside Maka and Soul, Chris was certain that her face was as red as a tomato.

"Not use to having attention, huh?" Maka asked softly.

"Is it always like this?" Chris asked, trying her best to calm down her pounding heart.

"Don't worry," Tsubaki said from a few seats down. "It'll all be gone in a few days."

_Not soon enough,_ Chris thought as she turned her attention back to Stein, who was beginning the lesson. The patchwork teacher was talking about dissecting some rare animal, and it was all Chris could do to not shriek and bolt out of the room in panic.

_Can this day get any better?

* * *

_

From her seat, Maka sat silently observing her new friend. Now that the fair-haired girl wasn't moving around and was relaxed somewhat—if watching a mad professor performing some psychotic operation on an innocent animal was relaxing—it was easier for the other girl to observe Chris's soul.

What Mala saw shocked and amazed her at the same time.

It had the appearance of a chain, and it was wrapped several times around the gray soul that was Chris's, not really constricting it and yet not really hanging loosely on it. Whatever it was, however, it was clearly suppressing Chris's soul wavelength, causing it to take the appearance of a normal human soul and Maka was silently intrigued by it as it didn't seem to be hindering Chris in any way.

Thinking back, Maka couldn't recall Chris ever using her soul to fight, even when she had been up against that Kishin egg a couple nights back. Besides the lack of both sweat and tiredness, the girl hadn't really used any bit of her soul, and that both troubled and intrigued the Scythe Technician.

_Just who are you, Chris-chan?_ Maka thought as she finally turned back to Stein and his completely useless lecture.

_Or what are you, exactly?

* * *

_

"Hey, Maka," Stein said softly as the Scythe Technician when she passed him after the class had ended.

"Yes, Sensei?"

"I want you to keep an eye on Chris," the patchwork teacher said after a moment of silence. "I'm sure you saw Chris's soul?"

Maka nodded. "What exactly is that on her soul? It looked like some sort of chain."

"It's more like a Wavelength limiter," Stein corrected. "Apparently, Chris is in possession of a larger than normal soul that she can't properly control at the moment. There is a chance however of the chain breaking under extreme pressure from Chris's subconscious, so please keep an eye on it and report to me if something comes up."

"Sure thing," Maka said with a smile before heading off to rejoin the group.

"We'll have to keep a close watch over this one," Stein said to no one in particular.

* * *

"Yah!" Chris shrieked in surprise, jumping into the opposite wall in fright.

She had been shown to her locker to drop off the books from her classes by Maka and Soul an hour later, and was shocked to find it stocked full of envelops of many colors and designs. The number was so great that, upon opening the metal box, the letters literally flew out at Chris, resulting in her pre-mentioned action to jump back with surprise.

"What are these?" She asked after regaining her composure, cautiously approaching as if half expecting them to leap up at her again and unsure what to do with them.

"Guess you never got a letter before, huh?" Soul asked, whistling softly at the sheer number of them.

"Of course I've gotten letters before, but why so many?" Chris gingerly picked one up and saw that the only writing was of her name, along with a couple doodles to go along with it that looked like hearts. She immediately felt a pit in her stomach; did what Liz mention before have to do with this?

"Wow, you sure got a lot of proposals, Chris-chan," Tsubaki said as she and Black Star came up to the group.

"P-proposals?" Chris asked, secretly mortified as she not too frantically tried to push them back into her locker, but ended up with them landing on the floor again.

"Yeah," Maka said, kneeling down to help. "Weapons that don't have Meisters are asking you to be their partner."

_Great,_ Chris thought; to think that she be getting offers on her first day didn't sit well with her at all. After all, she really didn't need a partner, so this move by several individuals was just a pain in her side.

Sighing to herself, she set her bag down and began to shove the envelopes into her bag.

"What's wrong with coming up and asking?" Chris asked, curious on this behavior.

"Nervous mostly," Tsubaki said, kneeling down to help with picking up the letters.

"Oi, look at this one," Black Star said, holding up an envelope with rose-printed paper, with Chris's name written in large, cursive letters.

"How girly can these people get?" Soul asked, stooping down to pick up one that was nearly covered in doodles.

"Oh, and none of _your_ proposals were girly?" Maka asked, earning a laugh from the other girls excluding the occupied and confused Chris.

"I turned them down, didn't I?" Soul said in frustration.

The next few minutes of the few members of Spartoi were spent helping their new friend collect the ridiculous number of envelopes—and some with a few goodies—into Chris's bag that, by the time that they were completed in their task, was close to bursting from the large amount of paper.

"That had to be the largest number of letters I've ever seen in one place," Soul said, leaning against the locker with a sigh.

"Six-hundred and twenty-six to be exact," Maka said.

Chris looked at the Scythe Technician with surprise. "You counted them?"

Maka shrugged. "Just call it a habit," she said. Looking at her watch, Maka added, "Shouldn't you be heading off to your evaluation, Chris-chan? I'm sure it's about time already."

Glancing up at the clock hanging in the hallway, Chris could see that it was quarter to noon, fifteen more minutes before her evaluation. Once again, and to Chris's disgust, the onset of butterflies in her stomach came around once again, and it was everything that Chris had been taught to not double over from the tightness of muscles.

"Yes, I need to be going," Chris said, hauling the expanded bag over her shoulder with her sword.

"We'll come with you," Maka said, grabbing Soul and literally dragging the white-haired boy with her.

"Come on, Black Star," Tsubaki said, with her Meister following close behind.

* * *

**Sorry that it took forever to get this chapter up; I've been busy with the usual things (Family, School, etc.)**

**Please read and review so I can know what everyone thinks and I'm open to suggestions to make this story more intriguing.**


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: Chris's Assignment

"So, Chris," Soul said as the group came closer to Shinigami-sama's room. "Do you have any idea what type of evaluation Shinigami-sama is having you do?"

"Not a clue," Chris admitted after a moment of silence. Truth be told, the Death Lord had only said to come to his office after class to discuss the terms of the evaluation, but other than that, she had no idea. To say that Chris was bothered by this was an understatement; she really didn't think that whatever Shinigami-sama had in store for her could possibly be as bad as what Iki-san put her through during her training.

Chris inwardly cringed at the memory of nights out in the woods, unable to sleep in fear of the predators that lurked in the shadows of the underbrush, or the multiple-day trek through the mountains that she had to endure in order to build up her stamina.

While Iki-san had been a kind mentor to her, he could be down-right ruthless at times.

"I'm sure it won't be too hard, Chris-chan," Maka said as if she sensed the girl's slight discomfort, though most likely for the wrong reason. "It'll probably be a fight against one of the teachers or the like."

That made Chris feel a little better; maybe she could finish her fight against that patchwork mess of a teacher now that she was recovered if he was up to it.

Arriving at Shinigami's room, Chris quickly rapped on the door, hoping that they were loud enough to be heard.

"Come in," the sing-song voice of Shinigami rang through the wooden door and Chris, taking a deep breath much like she was taught to push aside any doubt, opened the door.

"You wanted to see me, Shinigami-sama?" She asked, silently taking note that, not only was Stein there, but so was Kid with the Thompson Sisters.

"So good of you to come, Chris-chan," Shinigami said, his masked formed into that of a smile.

_It's Chris_, Chris wanted to say, but kept her mouth shut out of respect of Shinigami. Instead, she remained silent as she waited for Shinigami to continue.

"Now, Chris-chan," Shinigami said. "About your evaluation; truth be told that, after your show with Stein, the entire faculty aren't too keen on being your evaluator since Stein is still recovering."

Chris didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult; she really wasn't that intimidated, right? Sure, she had been a little over the top in that fight and, to be perfectly honest, she didn't feel bad that the man had been injured; he was the one who decided to fight with her in the first place.

Still, as Chris glanced over at the man, she could tell that Shinigami was possibly lying about Stein's condition; he looked perfectly fine to her, but Iki-san had always told that, in order to appear tough, men will often hide their injuries.

"So," Shinigami continued, "instead of testing you against a member of the school, I decided to send you on a mission along with Kid-kun; he'll be your evaluator."

Lifting an eyebrow, Chris glanced back at Kid; he merely rolled his eyes and let out a small sigh, which had Chris's lips tilt up in a small grin. So that explained why he was here; either Shinigami or someone else clearly didn't trust her yet, not that it mattered, and wanted to see her potential at being a true member of Shibusen.

This was going to be interesting.

Clearly, however, there were a few that didn't think it was a good idea.

"Umm…Shinigami-sama?" Maka began, stepping forward. "Are you sure that it will be okay with just sending Kid, Liz, and Patti with Chris?"

"Yeah," Soul said. "What if something happened that they were unable to handle?"

This time, both Chris and Kid rolled their eyes; did their classmates not trust them? Besides, as far as Chris knew, she was the only one beside someone by the name of Marie that could keep Kid calm.

"Don't worry, Maka-chan," Shinigami said, causing Chris and Kid to break their eye connection and look back at the Headmaster of Shibusen. "The mission is only to hunt a Kishin that has been reported near Salvador in Brazil, so there shouldn't be any worry."

At the mention of their destination, Chris's eyes momentarily lit up, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Kid; did she have some sort of connection with their destination? He silently vowed to uncover the reason and, if possibly, find out what everyone else was unable to.

"Very well, Shinigami-sama," Chris said then, causing Kid's train of thought to halt. "I'll accept your evaluation."

"Good, good," Shinigami said. "You'll be leaving early tomorrow, so I suggest an early turn in. All of you can go now."

* * *

"Honestly," Liz sighed as the group walked down the hallway. "To send you on a mission on your first day; what is he thinking?"

"I'm sure it'll be alright," Tsubaki said. "After all, both Chris-chan and Kid are powerful; they'll be fine."

"Yeah, but Chris's doesn't have a partner," Liz said, looking over at the white-haired girl. "How are you going to manage?"

"You saw what I did in the cemetery, Liz," Chris said with a smile. "I have no need for a partner."

"Then what are you going to do with all of those letters?" Maka asked, indicating the bulging bag on Chris's back.

"Well," Chris said in a matter-of-fact tone. "It would be rude to just throw them away. I'll go home and read them tonight."

"All of them?" Liz asked skeptically.

"I'm a fast reader," Chris explained. "It shouldn't be a problem for me."

"If you don't want the goodies," Black Star said with his big grin. "I'll be happy to take them off your hands."

"Black Star!" Tsubaki exclaimed in dismay, causing everyone excluding Chris to laugh.

"I'll keep that in mind," Chris simply said.

* * *

**Sorry that this is so short. I didn't know what I wanted to do with this chapter, but I'm sure the next one will be longer.**

**Reviews are always appreciated.**

**I've attempted to put up a poll on whether or not I should turn this into a KidXOC fanfic, so please let me know on what you think, since I'll only be keeping it up a week or so.  
**


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: Salvador and Fortuna

"Is it just me," Liz whispered to her Meister and sister as they boarded the early morning plane that would take them to Salvador, Brazil. "Or does Chris seem a little happier than usual?"

At that, the two other Shibusen students looked ahead that their companion; it seemed that Chris was indeed happier if she was happy to begin with. In fact, this morning she had been the first one up and had her bag, the same one that she had arrived with, stuffed with half of what the others would later bring, waiting at the door. Chris had been patient in allowing the others to eat after stating that she had already, though Kid and Liz were certain that there was no truth to that statement.

Even if she hadn't eaten, Chris was obviously careful not to show it. She was busily strolling happily, if it could be called that, in front of them with a small, almost unseen, smile on her face; the only thing that she was bringing on the plane with her was her bag since her sword had to be put in the cargo hold. Kid didn't know how she managed to get the giant sword past security, but knew better than to ask since the girl had been temporarily infuriated after clearing security.

"Maybe it's a place that she has always wanted to go," Patti suggested.

"With the traveling she has done," Kid said then, "I doubt that she hasn't been everywhere in the two continents."

"Then…" Patti thought for a brief moment before exclaiming a little too loudly. "A boyfriend?"

Both Kid and Liz had barely clapped a hand each over the younger Thompson sister's mouth before Chris turned to them, puzzled by the look on her face.

"What was that, Patti?" she asked curiously.

"Don't mind her, Chris," Liz said hurriedly, hoping to allow her sister to avoid a possible early death by an irritated Chris. "She's just spouting off nonsense again."

"Oh," was all that Chris said before turning around, allowing the tense weapon and meister to sigh in relief.

"Watch what you say around Chris, Patti," Liz hissed as a warning. "We don't know enough about her to be making assumptions. Besides, why would she even have a boyfriend? She seems like the type that a boy would rather avoid."

"Just thinking," Patti said with a big grin, earning a sigh from her older sister. "What do you think, Kid?"

"What?" Kid asked, clearly having not noticed Patti's question.

"Something wrong, Kid?" Liz asked concerned.

"Not really," the young shinigami said. "I just couldn't help but notice that one of Chris's ponytails is a little lower than the other."

"Kid!" Liz exclaimed. "This isn't the time for you to be concerned with Chris's symmetry!"

The older Thompson sister's face then went from shock to a sly grin.

"Oh, I get it," she said.

"You got what?" Patti asked curiously.

"Kid likes Chris," Liz whispered with glee.

"I most certainly do not," Kid said in defiance.

"Oh, don't deny it," Liz said, nudging her partner. "You've been acting a little _normal_ ever since she came to live with us."

"Don't deny it," Patti echoed and began nudging Kid as well.

"Will you two just…" Kid said before something caught his attention. He glanced around, his concerned face not going unnoticed by his Weapons.

Chris, by the way that she had stopped suddenly and almost having Patti run into her, clearly had sensed whatever Kid had. She glanced around, trying to find the source of the soul that she had just sensed.

"What's wrong, you guys?" Patti asked.

"I might just be imagining," Kid dropped his voice to a bare whisper, "but I think we're being followed."

"Are you sure?" Liz asked in a whisper. "Is it a Kishin?"

"No, it's not," Chris said, "that much I'm certain of."

"Whatever it is," Kid said, "I can't say that it doesn't mean us any harm. Everyone keep your eyes open."

"Alright," Liz said as she glanced up at a board. "We better book it; our plane is going to start boarding soon."

With that the group continued on, unaware of the small figure lurking in the shadows of the crowd that was following in pursuit.

* * *

The flight lasted eight hours at most, though it had seemed much shorter for the four teens had slept most of the way through it. Chris had been the first to awaken and, with only a half an hour or so left of the flight, proceeded to awaken her more reluctant companions.

Kid, apparently, hadn't been really asleep and immediately woke upon Chris's first nudge; Liz needed a bit more encouraging and Patti…well, it was one experience that Chris didn't want to go through anytime soon.

"_Your attention, please,"_ the flight attendant's voice came from over the intercom. _"We'll be arriving in Dep. Luís Eduardo Magalhães International Airport in approximately five minutes. Please fasten your seatbelts and thank you for riding Airline Estate."_

The plane landed without a hitch several minutes later and, after collecting their luggage, the quad made their way out into the busy streets of Salvador.

"Do we even have any idea where this Kishin is?" Liz asked as they waited for a bus that would take them to their destination. "How do we know it's not even there anymore?"

"Kishin are like serial killers," Chris said, prompting the others to look at her in confusion. "They don't move around; they like to stay where they are comfortable."

"Sounds like you know a lot," Kid said with a slight scoff.

Chris was quiet in deep thought.

"How many Kishin have you fought, Chris-chan?" Patti asked.

"I really don't know," the white-haired girl said as she stared at the buildings across the road. "I never bothered with keeping track."

"Too bad you didn't have a partner," Kid said. "I'm certain that you'd have your ninety-nine souls that you'd need."

Again, Chris didn't say anything and, as if she had built-in radar, stood up and said, "The bus is coming." Sure enough, the old bus appeared and, with hardly anyone on board, it was easy for the group to take their seats with luggage.

"Para onde? 1" the bus driver asked.

"Barra, por favor.2" Chris said as the bus began to roll away.

"I didn't know you spoke Spanish, Chris," Liz said with amazement.

"It's Portuguese, actually," Chris said. "But I do know Spanish, as well as French, Latin, and Japanese. I know a little Mandarin Chinese and some Italian and Greek."

Liz whistled in admiration. "Who taught you all that? Some mutli-language proffessor?"

"Iki-san did," Chris blurted out before she could stop herself. _They weren't suppose to hear that!_

"Iki-san," Patti said, spreading out the pronunciation. "Who's that?"

"Just a good friend," Chris said, trying to hide the panic in her voice. Iki-san would possibly never forgive her if his name reached Shinigami-sama's ears; she prayed that the trio had a bad short term memory. Then again, Iki-san had never really bothered to tell her his real name, so maybe she was safe, for now.

Kid, however, noticed the tenseness of Chris's body as she spoke that sentence. Apparently, this Iki-san person was someone that she either feared greatly or had a lot of respect for. He'd have to ask Chris more about this person later.

The trip on the bus lasted thirty minutes and, at the last stop, the group found themselves in front of a café-like place called _Leãozinho_. The sound of people came from through the doors and, from what could be heard, it wasn't at all pretty.

"What are we doing here?" Liz asked. "We're suppose to be looking for the Kishin."

"We are," Chris said. "This is one of the most visited pubs in the area, so I'm sure someone will know something."

"And you know that why?" Liz asked.

A small smile graced Chris's face. "You'll find out soon enough," she said before heading over to the door.

Inside, the place was lighted with red lights with the sound of Portuguese music coming softly from speakers. Nearly all the tables were occupied, either by groups playing card games or the occasional loner with a cigarette in hand.

Chris, clearly undaunted by the activity around her, approached the table where the bartender, a woman of her forties with a no nonsense look, sat busily wiping the mugs. The trio stayed behind near the wall, waryingly watching the occupants of the building.

"É Madame Fortuna em? 3" Chris asked as she took a seat at the bar.

"Quem quer saber? 4" The bartender said before looking up and her brown eyes becoming big like saucers. "Christine perca! Quando você voltou? 5"

"É bom ver você também, Ezra. 6" Chris said with a smile, telling the others that the two apparently know each other.

"Apenas um momento, Madame Fortuna foi para atender uma chamada. Vou ver se ela está acabado. 7" Ezra said, dissappearing from behind a curtain that clearly lead to the back of the building.

"Who was that?" Liz asked, the three walking forward to join their partner.

"Ezra," Chris said. "She's been working for Aunt Fortuna for many years and is considered by most to be her bodyguard of sorts."

"So you know these guys?" Kid asked.

"Of course," Chris said, her lips tilted up slightly. "I practically lived here before heading for Shibusen."

At that, Kid felt that he was close to finding out who it was that taught Chris how to fight the way she did. Maybe he could possibly find out more from this Fortuna woman.

A short time later, a much older woman than Ezra came out from the curtain. Her skin was such a tan and riddled with age spots that the three Shibusen students immediately thought of the type of woman who dabbled in talking with spirits. She was dress in a simple dress with a red and violet shash drapped over her shoulders; her arms were covered in braclets that jingled as she made her way to the counter.

Upon seeing Chris, the woman's face light up with joy. "Chris, é tão bom ver você de novo, espero que suas viagens foram bem.8" the woman said.

"Bem, tia Fortuna. 9" Chris said, taking the woman's outstrecthed and wrinkled hands with her unblemished ones.

"Quem é seu amigo? 10" Madame Fortuna looked over at the trio, her dark eyes seemingly searching for a reason to throw them out.

"Pessoas de Shibusen, você pode confiar neles. 11" Chris said, her eyes also knowing the look of the much older woman's.

"Welcome then, friends of Chris," Fortuna said with a thick accent. "I'd gladly offer you a drink, but I'm afraid that you look underage for that." She laughed and even Chris had an amused look.

"Come, come," Fortuna said, beckoning to the curtain. "It's much to crowded here. Let's talk in the back; I want to hear about what happened after you left, Chris."

* * *

1Where to?

2Bara please.

3Is Madame Fortuna in?

4Who wants to know?

5Miss Christine! When did you get back?

6It's good to see you too, Ezra.

7Just a moment, Madame Fortuna went to take a call. I'll see if she's finished.

8Chris, it's so good to see you again; I trust that your travels were well.

9Quite, Aunt Fortuna.

10Who's your friends?

11People from Shibusen; you can trust them.

* * *

**Epp! Sorry that it took forever to get this updated. I've suffered a major case of writer's block and then my laptop had to be taken to the shop and I barely got it back.**

**I hope I got the translation right (you really can't tell with Google) so if there is any mistakes, please let me know.**

**Also check out my other works and review are appreciated.  
**


	11. Chapter 11

**ALERT! ALERT!**

Sorry for those of you who thought this was an update, but this is too important:

For those of you who don't know, the site that you're reading from right now might just start cracking down on the restrictions. This includes violence, yaoi, yuri, and other traits commonly found in fanfiction. If a story has these traits, they might be shut down. I myself don't have much flair for yaoi or yuri, but I believe in a person's right to write whatever they wish without discrimination or termination of their work.

There are two ways for you to help: One, there is a petition on DarkHeartInTheSky's profile page. It doesn't even take a minute and it helps us protect our freedom and prove that we, as authors/authoresses, readers, translators, and even beta readers can make a difference.

The second thing that we can do is to participate in the Black Out Day taking place on June 23, organized by Zukofan2005. On June 23rd, starting at 0:00 GMT(12:00pm for those who don't know military time), don't go onto this site. Don't read, review, pm, update, etc. If enough people participate, the site will take us seriously and take our thoughts about this into consideration.

Basically:

_**-FF is trying to enforce restrictions on yaoi, yuri, violence, etc.**_

_**-Stop this by signing the petition on DarkHeartInSky's profile page.**_

_**-Stop this by participating in the Black Out Day.**_

If you wish, copy this page and update it in your works to spread the word around!


	12. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

For those of you who have been reading Tenshi: The Sword-Wielding Meister, I apologize that this isn't the update that you were hoping for.

I have decided to rewrite the story and hopefully improve the story. I had reread the story and I found the story "lacking" and very "Novice" in its style, which is what lead me to my decision.

Thank you for your patience and I hope you'll read the story as I edit it.


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